I hate to say it, but Justin Verlander might be cooked.
In his age-40 season, the Mets’ starter is finally showing signs of age, the side effects being a rapidly decreasing strikeout minus walk rate, a rapidly increasing ERA (4.40), and a lackluster batted-ball profile.
It’s impossible to trust Verlander.
It’s even harder to trust the Mets more generally, given they’ve slid to fourth place in the NL East during a disastrous month of June.
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(8:10 p.m. ET. SNY)
The Mets don’t hit the ball hard (aside from Pete Alonso).
The bullpen is horrendous and won’t improve until Edwin Diaz returns (if ever).
The defense grades out as below average.
Steve Cohen put together the most expensive roster in MLB history, and he has very little to show for it through 40% of the season.
Now, old-man Verlander and these down-and-out Mets will face the defending-champion Astros in Houston on Tuesday.
Houston has an elite starting pitcher on the mound (Framber Valdez, 2.27 ERA), a top-10 bullpen (3.32 reliever ERA, fourth in MLB) and an above-average defense.
I’m not very high on the Astros, but I’ll happily bet on Valdez at home against a flailing Mets squad.
Plus, Houston needs to win a series after being swept by the Reds.
Astros (-145, BetMGM)