Charlie Cummings previews Saturday’s MLB matchup between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Angels and provides his best pick.
How about a little inter-league action to wrap up our Saturday night baseball slate? The Mets travel to take on the Angels in a battle of teams trying to get their seasons on track. Who picks up the win tonight to build some momentum?
First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. ET. The Mets are -122 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while an Angels upset is priced at +102. The game total is set at O/U eight runs.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Mets-Angels game.
First things first, let’s get to know these starting pitchers.
Nolan McLean steps to the mound for New York tonight. The Mets’ top prospect debuted last season and returns this year for his first full campaign in the rotation. And boy, has he capitalized on the hype. Armed with a power sinker and a sweeper that’s an insult to physics, McLean is making hitters dizzy.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 26, 2026Nearly 4 Feet difference in break between these back to back pitches from Nolan McLean. 😳
Sweeper = 23 inches of Break
Sinker = 24 inches of Run pic.twitter.com/MZTt0vTa3h
So far, the results are incredible. McLean has a 2.29 expected ERA and a .188 expected batting average; both marks are in the 90th percentile or better among starting pitchers. Not only does he rack up the strikeouts, but the contact he allows tends to be soft. Calling him a “future ace” would be disrespectful — McLean is an ace at this very moment.
Opposite him is Reid Detmers, a very different kind of pitcher. Detmers, the 10th overall pick in 2020, was a reliever last season after some rough times as a starter. Now he’s back in the rotation and handling things well. Armed with a solid fastball and wide-breaking slider, Detmers mixes good command with strikeout stuff to produce solid results. He ranks in MLB’s 75th percentile or better in expected batting average and expected ERA as well, and is one of the bright spots in a struggling Angels staff.
The disparity in these lineups at the start of the season is astounding. Behind a resurgent Mike Trout, the Angels have an above-average offense thus far. Jorge Soler has proven to be a solid addition, and once Jo Adell gets on track, LA has a strong middle of the order. Meanwhile, the Mets are in the shadow realm offensively. Their team is dead last in OPS+; Juan Soto is rocking an OPS over 1.000, and the second-best Met is Francisco Alvarez at .708. Dark, dark times in Queens.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to take this one home?
Look, the Angels are nothing special. It would not surprise me if the Mets are far ahead of them by the end of the season. However, New York can’t buy a run right now, and the vibes are simply atrocious. Even with McLean on the mound, the lack of run support for their ace is a glaring issue. The Angels should find a way as the home underdogs.
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