The New York Mets have revealed the starting rotation heading into an Opening Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, March 26. The five-man staff will not include veteran left-hander Sean Manaea.
The Mets’ rotation will begin with Freddy Peralta, who had already been announced as the Opening Day starter. He’ll be opposed by reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. Peralta will be followed by David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among the reporters to relay the news.
Freddy Peralta David Peterson Nolan McLean Clay Holmes Kodai Senga
Sean Manaea will piggyback off one of those starters the first time through the rotation.
Manaea was the notable absence from the unit. Instead of operating as a normal starter, he’ll function in a piggyback capacity to begin the season. Manaea struggled with injuries and poor performance in 2025. He posted a 5.64 ERA across 15 appearances. The southpaw missed half of the season with an oblique issue.
New York Mets’ Rotation Revealed: Sean Manaea to Serve as Piggyback Option
The Mets signed Manaea to a two-year, $28 million contract heading into the 2024 season. He’s since been extended and will now make $75 million with the club. Manaea was worth every penny in his first year in New York. He delivered a 3.47 ERA across 32 starts. The lefty pitched a career-high 181.2 innings and won a dozen games for the third time as a big leaguer.
Manaea managed just 60.2 frames last year. His velocity ticked down after returning from the oblique injury. The veteran did post a strong 28.5% strikeout rate, but hitters did damage when they made contact. Manaea was tagged for 13 home runs in his 15 outings. He had a career-worst 19.4% home run to fly ball rate, which could regress moving forward. The elevated home run rate is the main reason Manaea’s xFIP (3.30) and SIERA (3.07) were much lower than his ERA.
The Kansas City Royals took Manaea with a competitive balance pick in the 2013 draft. He was dealt to the Athletics in 2015 as part of the Ben Zobrist trade. Manaea debuted with Oakland in 2016. He was a regular in the rotation through 2021. Injuries cost the lefty time in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Who Will Piggyback With Manaea?
This isn’t the first time Manaea has worked in tandem with another starter. He and Holmes formed a piggyback duo down the stretch in 2025. Both pitchers faded late in the season after strong starts, leading manager Carlos Mendoza to employ them in abbreviated roles. The approach worked swimmingly the first time, with Holmes limiting the Padres to two earned runs over four innings on September 16. Manaea followed with five innings of one-run ball to earn the victory. The pairing didn’t go as well in future attempts, but the groundwork was laid for this season.
Holmes began his career as a starter with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018. He quickly shifted to a relief role. Holmes emerged as the New York Yankees‘ closer in 2022. He locked down 74 saves over the next three seasons. The righty transitioned back to the rotation with the Mets last year. After a solid 2.97 ERA through the first three months of the season, his effectiveness waned. Holmes’ strikeout rate fell to 15.9% from July through the end of the campaign.
Mets Cut $75 Million Pitcher From Opening Day Rotation