New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea struggled in his Grapefruit League start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, surrendering three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. 

He threw 56 pitches in total, including 28 in a difficult first inning, which saw him struggle with command and serve up a two-run home run to Nelson Velázquez. 

What’s even more concerning is the dip in his velocity. His fastball sat mostly in the 88-mph range and topped out at a shade over 90 mph. By comparison, his four-seam fastball last year averaged 91.7 mph — a slight dip from the 92.2 mph average he put up in his resurgent 2024 season. That drop, though, was attributed to the injuries he encountered last season (oblique, elbow), which forced him to start 2025 in July. 

Manaea did not show much concern about it, though, imploring that he is healthy and that he feels good two weeks before Opening Day. 

“I think I just have to get more reps. Other than that, I don’t have any explanation,” Manaea said. “Adrenaline will definitely play a role once the season starts and I get to Citi Field, all that stuff. So I’m not worried about it.”

The hope is that the fastball can be established at 92 or 93 mph by the time the regular season comes around, which Manaea described as “not a crazy amount, just an extra little bit.”

The veteran southpaw is just one of the wild cards in the equation of the Mets’ six-man rotation to start the 2026 season after he struggled mightily upon his return last season. He went 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA, 1.220 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in 15 appearances (12 starts).

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