Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Mets Prediction: Skenes Takes On Much-Hyped Mets
Opening Day brings fresh expectations, and the Pittsburgh Pirates head to New York to face the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon. This matchup features star pitcher in Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes looking to shut down a Mets club that made major offseason changes to try to become a major title contender. Before first pitch from Queens, you can find my Pirates vs Mets prediction right here.
Freddy Peralta headlines this game in his Mets debut. He was one of the most effective starters in baseball last season, finishing with elite strikeout numbers and limiting runs at a high level. His ability to miss bats consistently gives New York a strong advantage, especially against a Pirates lineup that ranked near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories.
Paul Skenes will get the ball for the Pirates, who led the league in ERA at 1.97 last season despite not getting a ton of wins due to the limitations of the roster around him. He will try to keep the Pirates in this game as well, with or without the help of his offense.
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets
The pitching matchup in this game is pretty even, as both Peralta and Skenes are capable of great pitching on any given day. But the difference in quality on offense should move this game in favor of the Mets by a decent margin. While the Pirates have upside and could keep this competitive, the Mets are the safer play at home. With a better offense and a proven starter on the mound, I'm going to take New York to win this contest on the moneyline.
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