New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds (2026-06-17). Nolan McLean vs Nick Lodolo at Great American Ball Park.
Nolan McLean enters with a season ERA of 4.01 and a 1.14 WHIP over 76.1 innings, showcasing a strong 10.38 K/9 rate against a 3.66 BB/9. His recent five starts consistently feature quality outings, with four of them having an ERA below 3.0, and he maintains a 50% quality start percentage without any blow-up performances. Despite this consistency, his ERA trend is noted as "up," suggesting a slight recent increase in earned runs compared to an earlier baseline. Conversely, Nick Lodolo presents a higher season ERA of 5.21 and a 1.45 WHIP across 38 innings, with a lower 7.11 K/9 and a similar 3.55 BB/9, but a concerning 1.89 HR/9. His recent form is inconsistent, with four of his last five starts yielding three or more earned runs, including a challenging 5-ER outing over four innings. Lodolo's ERA trend is also "up," reflecting his recent struggles, and his quality start percentage stands at 33.3%, though he did record a strong 1-ER, 6-IP outing against the Mets on May 25, which deviates from his broader recent struggles.
The Mets offense has produced 291 runs with a collective OPS of 0.665. Their pitching staff, however, boasts a competitive 3.99 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP, supported by a strong 9.14 K/9 rate, indicating an ability to suppress opposing offenses. The Reds offense has been slightly more productive, scoring 310 runs with a higher OPS of 0.710. On the pitching side, Cincinnati's team ERA is 4.59 and their WHIP is 1.46, both metrics indicating a less effective staff than New York's. In terms of recent form, the Mets hold a 6-4 record over their last ten games, while the Reds have performed slightly better with a 7-3 record in their recent ten contests.
Recent head-to-head matchups from the 2025 season saw the Reds hold a 4-2 advantage over the Mets across six games, with an average total runs of approximately 7.83 per contest. The current total line for this game is set at 9.0 runs, which is higher than the historical average. This line appears to reflect Nick Lodolo's higher season ERA and the Reds' less effective team pitching, combined with the offensive potential of both teams at Great American Ball Park, a known hitter-friendly venue. However, McLean's solid season and recent form, alongside the Mets' strong team pitching, could challenge the expectation of a high-scoring affair, despite Lodolo's recent struggles potentially pushing the total higher.
