The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of a three-game weekend set. After splitting the first two contests, the decisive finale is slated for Sunday Night Baseball.
New York’s hitters face a formidable challenge in Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler, who brings a 6-1 record, a 2.01 ERA, and 62 strikeouts into the matchup. Countering him for the Mets will be David Peterson, who takes the hill with a 3-5 mark, a 5.91 ERA, and 58 punchouts.
Ahead of this critical series closer, the Mets have unveiled their starting nine, and it includes a significant shift regarding Bo Bichette.
Bo Bichette Reclaims Shortstop Role Versus Philadelphia
As per their usual practice, UnderdogMLB has shared New York’s lineup for the Phillies game:
Mets 6/21: C. Benge RF B. Bichette SS J. Soto LF J. Young 1B A. Ewing CF M. Semien 2B B. Baty 3B F. Alvarez DH L. Torrens C D. Peterson SP
Key takeaways: Bo Bichette is stationed at shortstop once again after manning third base on Saturday. With the right-handed Wheeler on the mound, Jared Young slots into the cleanup position, and Brett Baty gets the nod at the hot corner for Sunday evening.
As for Bichette, despite his rough start to the year, he has arguably emerged as the Mets’ most potent offensive threat over the last month. Still, Mets faithful might want to temper their long-term enthusiasm, as reports from MLB insiders indicate Bichette intends to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract once the season concludes.
Bo Bichette’s 2026 Stats
Bo Bichette, a two-time MLB All-Star who spent his first seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before joining the Mets this past winter, has appeared in 76 games so far. He leads all of baseball with 307 at-bats, posting a .251 average alongside eight homers, 11 doubles, 42 RBI, and a .667 OPS.
Over the course of his eight-year big-league career, Bichette owns a .290 batting average, 119 home runs, and a lifetime .793 OPS.
The Mets currently sit at 34-42, occupying fifth place in the NL East. They trail the division-leading Atlanta Braves by 14.0 games, but if Queens can inch closer to the .500 mark, a postseason berth could still become a realistic possibility.
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