The best pitcher to change teams this offseason was Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young winner with a sub-3 ERA in four of his last five years. The best hitter to move on the market was, of course, Juan Soto — World Series winner and five-time Silver Slugger at just 26 years old, now the highest-paid player in baseball’s long history.
They face off Wednesday, with Burnes’ Arizona Diamondbacks visiting Soto’s New York Mets for a three-game set. This should be a lot of fun, and it’ll decide an age-old quandary: what’s stronger, a neon rattlesnake or a fuzzy milkshake bandit?
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The Mets are rolling. They won seven straight in consecutive sweeps of the Cardinals and Phillies, then split a series with Washington 2-2 and enter this series leading the talented NL East (both Philadelphia and Atlanta have top-10 payrolls and harbor playoff expectations). Swiping Soto from the rival Yankees made headlines (and inspired some deranged New York Post back-page puns). But the biggest offseason payoff so far has been Pete Alonso, New York’s mashing first baseman who re-signed after a protracted contract battle. In his first 100 at-bats of 2025, Alonso has a .333/.451/.646 slash line. He starts the week batting .345 with runners in scoring position.
His huge swing sends misfortunate pitches up to the second deck of Citi Field, or past dead center of road ballparks packed with expat Mets fans. In 15 career at-bats against Burnes, Alonso has gone yard three times and driven in seven runners.
Soto is off to a modest start, certainly by his standards (batting .257 this season, with a career average of .284). He’s been compensated by Francisco Lindor (.304 and five round-trippers). This offense posted 19 runs Monday afternoon in Washington. And the Mets haven’t needed much punch to get wins anyway, sporting the best ERA in the league by a solid margin.
David Peterson (LHP, 1-1, a 3.29 ERA) goes first for the hosts. He’s been one of this young season’s best pitchers for inducing grounders. Righty Kodai Senga takes the bump Thursday, after giving the Mets scoreless work in three of his five starts. He’s 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA.
Arizona’s pitchers have not been as effective, though it will roll out some of its most experienced arms. Burnes (RHP, 0-1, 4.05 ERA) hasn’t fulfilled the hype in this first month, but the strikeouts are trickling in (eight punchouts last time out versus Tampa Bay, after three straight three-K performances). Ten-year vet and southpaw Eduardo Rodríguez starts Tuesday. He’s allowed at least six hits in three straight. Mainstay righty Zac Gallen is up Thursday. He has averaged more than 14 wins across the last three seasons, but currently carries a bloated ERA of 5.57.
If the D-Backs are to pull off some road wins here, it’ll likely be off the strength of their swaggering lineup. Arizona sits fourth in the MLB in runs and homers and fifth in OBP. Whatever sophomore slump hit Corbin Carroll last year appears to be exorcised. As of Monday, he leads all of baseball in total bases (80). He will be a clear MVP candidate if he keeps this up. Eugenio Suárez has socked a league-best 10 homers in his age-33 season.
Most home runs in both jerseys: Chris Young (132 ARI, 8 NYM)
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(Photo of Corbin Burnes: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
