State of the Mets as they welcome Yankees for the first time in 2026

With one of their toughest matchups of the early season looming, the Mets are gathering a little bit of momentum.

As the Mets are due to welcome the Yankees for their first Subway Series of the season, beginning at 7:10 p.m. Friday at Citi Field, they capped their first three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon with a 9-3 win over the Tigers.

The Mets scored 22 combined runs in the series, including a season-high five home runs on Thursday. In the month of May, they have won three of their four series and amassed a 8-4 record, crawling out from a miserable April.

"Obviously we've been struggling for a while up until these last couple of games, but I wouldn't say we got down on ourselves in here," Nolan McLean told reporters after notching his second win on Thursday. "We know how good our clubhouse is and that's all that matters is what we think of each other. At the end of the day, we're not worried about anybody else."

So is this the right time to face the Yankees, who despite holding a 27-17 record — fifth-best in Major League Baseball — have lost six of their last eight games?

"Not the Subway Series, I would say the whole season," Juan Soto said. "You just gotta keep the momentum all the way to October. Definitely it was a start that we didn't want, but it's the right time to get hot."

Rookies on the rise: AJ Ewing, Carson Benge

New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) pats center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) on the back as they celebrate after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The catalysts to the Mets' recent upswing have been a pair of rookies who have a combined 43 games of experience between them in A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge

Ewing was called up on Tuesday to try and spark a stagnant offense with his ability to grind opposing pitching, wreak havoc on the bases and make contact. He added his first career home run — a 405-foot solo shot — in his third game on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Mets top prospect has done a little bit of everything at the plate at the dawn of his major league career. He is 3-for-9 with four runs, three RBI, a triple, one stolen base and four walks in his early action.

"I think this clubhouse just feeds off each other," Ewing said. "It's nine guys in the lineup and everyone in this lineup is great guys and we feed off each other."

Benge had three multi-hit performances out of the leadoff spot in the series against the Tigers. In the month of May, Benge is 14-of-41 (.341) with one home run, three doubles, eight runs and seven RBI.

"Their style of play is provide a lot of energy because they're going to get on base, they're going to grind at-bats, they're going to put balls in play and they're going to make pitchers work," Mendoza said. "Once they get on, they're going to put the pressure on the defense. They're having fun, they're playing, and that's contagious."

The Subway Series will be chock full of top prospects, with Spencer Jones, the Yankees' No. 6 prospect, also experiencing it for the first time. Jones is 1-for-12 with one RBI and six strikeouts in his first five games.

Who are Yankees missing? Clay Holmes

New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) follows through on a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning on April 22, 2026, at Citi Field.

The first pitching matchup of the series will be between two of the top pitchers in their respective leagues as Clay Holmes faces off against Cam Schlittler and his former team.

It will be Holmes' first matchup against the Yankees, where he spent 2021 through 2024 including a large swath as the team's closer, since signing a three-year, $38 million deal to transition back to a starting role.

Holmes has been one of the Mets' most dependable starters this season, holding 4-3 record with a 1.86 ERA — third best in the NL — and 37 strikeouts in 48⅓ innings.

Meanwhile, in his first full season, Schlittler is building an early case for both Rookie of the Year and the AL Cy Young. The 25-year-old fireballer is 5-1 while leading the American League with a 1.35 ERA — second-best in MLB behind Shohei Ohtani — and 0.81 WHIP. He has struck out 59 batters in 53⅓ innings. He has turned in four quality starts in his last five outings, including three with six scoreless innings.

Keep an eye on the injury report: Juan Soto

New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning on May 14, 2026, at Citi Field.

In a rare turn for the Mets this season, the club actually received good news on an injury on Wednesday night.

After Soto exited the game after fouling a ball of his right foot, X-rays were negative. The Mets superstar was back in the lineup on Thursday and turned in his best performance in May as he finished 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs.

He stayed in the designated hitter role as MJ Melendez opened the game in left field and was ultimately replaced by Tyrone Taylor.

"I wasn't concerned much. I've done it before," Soto said of the injury. "The problem was that I wasn't able to push and it was getting swollen big time. Just trying to make a smart move, but definitely, I know how to handle it."

The Mets have been tagged with major injuries, making the boosts provided by Ewing and Benge all the more important. Francisco Alvarez had surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee on Thursday and the Mets starting catcher is expected to miss around eight weeks.

While Francisco Lindor's MRI on his calf strain showed healing, there is still no timetable for his return.

Elsewhere in the Mets' lineup, Luis Robert Jr. continues to experience soreness in his lower back after receiving an epidural to combat a herniated disc, and Jorge Polanco has good and bad days with his Achilles bursitis in his left leg.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets riding high on first sweep before first Yankees matchup in 2026