Mets and Nationals Close Out Forgettable Seasons in D.C.
Two teams well below .500 meet at Nationals Park on Friday night with nothing but pride and individual milestones on the line. Our model doesn't have a read on this one — which, honestly, tells you something about how unpredictable a late-September game between two also-rans can be.
The New York Mets (73-86) and Washington Nationals (75-84) are both deep in the red this season, but the Nationals hold a slight edge in the standings and the home-field comfort of Nationals Park. Neither club is playing for anything beyond personal benchmarks at this point, but that doesn't mean the individual storylines aren't worth tracking. Jefry Yan is expected to start for New York, while Andrew Alvarez is set to take the mound for Washington — two pitchers whose performances tonight will carry real weight for roster evaluation heading into the offseason.
On the offensive side, the Nationals have the most compelling individual narrative. CJ Abrams has been Washington's most dangerous bat all season, leading the club with 33 home runs and 103 RBI — numbers that make him one of the more quietly productive shortstops in the National League this year. James Wood is hitting .262 and gives the Nationals another legitimate threat in the lineup. For the Mets, Juan Soto's 27 home runs represent the team's top power output, and Bo Bichette's 76 RBI anchor the middle of a lineup that hasn't had much to celebrate lately. Carson Benge leads New York's key contributors in batting average at .274, giving the Mets at least one consistent contact bat to build around at the top.
With no validated model read available for this game, there's no clean lean to offer — and forcing one here would be doing you a disservice. What I will say is this: Abrams' combination of power and run production gives Washington a tangible edge in lineup depth, and pitching in front of a home crowd in the final week of the season tends to matter more than people give it credit for. Watch Abrams. Watch whether Yan can keep the ball in the park. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM ET.