NLCS: Starting McNeil and Torrens could make sense for Game 3

After a great Game 2 win over the Dodgers, the Mets face three NLCS games against the Dodgers at Citi Field starting tomorrow night. Since the first two away games of the series were split like in the NLDS, the team has the opportunity to take advantage of their home-field advantage. And there are a few lineup changes worth considering ahead of Game 3.

To be clear, the Mets wouldn't be here without Francisco Alvarez and Jose Iglesias. The former wasn't quite as good with the bat in his second season as we all hoped, but he finished the regular season with a wRC+ of 102, 11 home runs and the confidence of the Mets pitching staff. His stint on the injured list early in the season coincided with the team's worst play, and his return from the IL provided a clear and obvious boost.

Iglesias is, of course, the heart and soul of the team, as his Candelita song “OMG” has become the team’s celebration song and a large part of its identity. And on top of that, he put together his best individual season at the plate, finishing the regular season with a 137 wRC+. He was crucial to this team even making the playoffs.

However, at the moment both players are ice cold. The playoffs are a small sample size by definition, but in 33 plate appearances, Alvarez is hitting .156/.182/.156 with a -3 wRC+. Still without an extra base hit, he drew his first walk of the postseason in Game 2 due to a pitch clock violation by one of the Dodgers relievers. He also appeared in many situations with runners on base, but only drove in one run. And he's posted a -40.0% WPA so far in the playoffs.

Iglesias was better than that, and his hustle infield single in Game 1 against the Brewers scored the winning run and played a big role in the five-run inning that gave the Mets a lead over Milwaukee for good in that game. And he had a two-hit game with two runs batted in as the Mets defeated the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS. Overall, however, he hit .222/.263/.222 with a 43 wRC+. Like Alvarez, he has yet to have an extra base hit and has struggled to get on base.

The Mets may want to give both players a break and take a look at what Jeff McNeil can do on the field while giving Luis Torrens his first playoff appearance. In McNeil's case, a strong play for the rest of the game could cause the starting second baseman's priorities to shift. And with Torrens, it's probably worth it to get a one-off game with some production from her catcher.

McNeil poses some risk as he returns from a wrist injury that hitters typically have difficulty recovering from. But he was fantastic in the second half of the regular season, hitting .289/.376/.547 with a 156 wRC+. The Dodgers are also starting right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler in Game 3, and while he has been bad against everyone this year, he has particularly struggled against lefties. Opposing lefties hit .296/.362/.528 against Buehler this year, and McNeil has been significantly better against right-handed pitchers both this year and throughout his major league career.

As for the risk with Torrens, it's mainly that he hasn't played in a game since the Mets' second game of their doubleheader on Sept. 30 in Atlanta. Torrens was a great boost for the team in the 2024 season, hitting .229/.292/.373 with a 90 wRC+, producing very good results while also serving as a backup to Alvarez. And placing too much emphasis on ERA splits by catcher is generally a silly thing, but for what it's worth, Mets Game 3 starter Luis Severino had 44.2 innings in the 44.2 innings he pitched with Torrens this year worked, an ERA of 3.22. With Alvarez, he had a 4.23 ERA in 89.1 innings.

If the Mets decide to use one or both of these players in Game 3, there will certainly be plenty of opportunities for whoever is taken out of the starting lineup to get back in – as early as the next day for Game 4. But only slightly A shakeup at the bottom of the order seems like a good idea, and having Iglesias on the bench would give the Mets two late-inning defensive upgrades in the infield – Iglesias and Luisangel Acuña – should they come up short late in Game 3 Have a head start tomorrow evening.