Mets at Giants: 5 things to watch and series predictions | April 2-5

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Giants play a four-game series in San Francisco starting on Thursday night... 5 things to watch Will Nolan McLean hit the ground running? McLean didn't have a great feel for his pitches at the outset of his first start of the season last Sunday against the Pirates, walking the first two batters he faced.

The young right-hander was searching a bit over the first three innings, with manager Carlos Mendoza saying McLean didn't really find it until the fourth inning. Even without his best stuff, McLean performed well, allowing just two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out eight in five innings. As the game went on, McLean got more comfortable and his stuff started to overwhelm Pittsburgh.

Five of the last seven outs McLean recorded came via the strikeout -- four swinging and one looking. On the day, McLean threw 84 pitches (generating 12 swings and misses) while mixing in his full six-itch arsenal. Power outage With Pete Alonso departing for the Orioles, it felt likely that the Mets might not hit as many homers in 2026 as they did in 2025, when they smacked 224 -- good for fifth-most in the majors.

It should also be noted that aside from Opening Day, when the temperature was in the low-70s, the Mets have not played in weather that is optimal for the ball carrying. Still, they entered play on Wednesday having hit just three home runs in their first five games -- one each by Carson Benge , Francisco Alvarez , and Luis Robert Jr. It hasn't just been the Mets when it comes to low home run totals in the early going.