Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets – Series Preview (June 22-25): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (40-37) split a rain-shortened series with the Blue Jays this past weekend at Wrigley Field. They won the first game going away and had an excellent chance to take the second before the bullpen imploded to blow a 5-0 lead in the final three innings. After a Father’s Day postponement, they head out on the road, starting with four in the Big Apple against the Mets.
When Chicago swept New York (34-43) at the Friendly Confines in late April, the Mets were sitting eight games under .500 in last place. What a difference two months doesn’t make, because they are currently nine games under and still in dead last.
The Metropolitans’ offense has struggled mightily all season with a not nice .669 team OPS that is the second worst in the league. In fact, they are in the bottom 10 in every team category through the first three months. The one bright spot has been slugger Juan Soto, who returned from an early-season injury to mash 17 home runs with a .974 OPS in 60 games.
New York’s pitching staff has been better with a team ERA of 4.08, which currently sits 14th in MLB. Injuries have been an issue for the starting rotation, with Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga having missed big stretches. Big offseason addition Freddy Peralta has been disappointing without that Brewers magic behind him.
The strongest aspect of the Mets in 2026 has been the bullpen, which has a 3.38 ERA that ranks fifth in MLB. Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Huascar Brazoban have all been excellent in setup roles. Closer Devin Williams has had some rough outings, especially early in the season, but he still has a nasty changeup.
New York is dangerous despite the fact they have not been good in 2026. The Cubs have learned that nothing is a sure thing recently, and that’s even more true on the road. That being said, they played well against this team in April and they are capable of doing it again. A showdown with the Brewers is looming at the end of the week, so the Cubs really need to have a good series here to build a little momentum.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, June 22 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, June 23 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, June 24 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
- Thursday, June 25 at 6:10pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 6/22 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 4.26 | 4-6 | 4.58 | 3.82 |
| Kodai Senga | 33 | R | 9.00 | 0-5 | 6.81 | 1.65 | |
| 6/23 | Edward Cabrera | 28 | R | 5.21 | 4-4 | 5.15 | 2.44 |
| Nolan McLean | 24 | R | 3.67 | 4–4 | 3.50 | 3.03 | |
| 6/24 | Javier Assad | 28 | R | 3.89 | 5-1 | 4.42 | 2.78 |
| Sean Manaea | 34 | L | 4.64 | 1–2 | 3.75 | 3.11 | |
| 6/25 | Ben Brown | 26 | R | 1.85 | 4-2 | 2.50 | 3.42 |
| Freddy Peralta | 30 | R | 4.83 | 5-6 | 4.32 | 2.44 |
What to Watch For
- Seiya Suzuki should be able to return to the outfield after a minor knee injury, but Matt Shaw might keep him at DH with his recent hot streak.
- Dansby Swanson has four hits and two walks in his last three games, including a double and a homer.
- Brown is lined up to start on Thursday, but Matthew Boyd could come off the injured list to start that game after a successful rehab start on Saturday.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong shows no signs of slowing down with five knocks and three walks against the Blue Jays.
