Sean Manaea DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) resumed throwing two days ago, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Manaea's follow-up MRI exam came back clean, so he's essentially re-starting his spring training program after being shut down with a strained right oblique earlier in camp. It means that the 33-year-old veteran southpaw is right on schedule. He still has a ways to go as he builds his arm up for a starter's workload, but barring a setback, he could be ready to rejoin the Mets' rotation at some point in April. Nobody really expected much from Manaea in Queens in 2024, but he pitched very well thanks to a lowered arm slot and threw more strikes, too, finishing 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184:63 K:BB in 181 2/3 regular-season innings over 32 starts. It remains to be seen if he can repeat that success in 2025, but he's at least a little cheaper now that he'll begin the year on the injured list.

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) has been diagnosed with a right-oblique strain and will most likely miss Opening Day at the end of March, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Manaea will be shut down for a couple of weeks at spring training before restarting his spring progression. If everything goes well once he resumes throwing, Manaea could make his 2025 debut by mid- or late April. It's an early blow to the Mets' starting pitching, as the veteran left-hander was the team's top pitcher in 2024, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA over 32 starts. The 33-year-old signed a three-year, $75 million contract in the offseason to return to the Mets. With both Manaea and Frankie Montas (lat) injured, it increases the likelihood of Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill and Paul Blackburn (back) all making the Opening Day rotation.

Starting pitcher Sean Manaea signed a three-year contract worth $75 million to return to the New York Mets. Manaea spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign in Queens. Across 181 2/3 innings, the left-handed pitcher held a 3.47 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. During the second-half of the summer, he held a stellar 0.94 WHIP. Under the hood, he generated a 3.75 xERA and .227 xBA which were both slightly above the average marks of qualified hitters. He also generated strikeouts at a solid 24.9% rate and allowed hard contact at a 37.8% hard-hit rate. However, he did hold a high 8.5% walk rate which placed him in the 41st percentile. Fantasy managers should expect Manaea to operate towards the front half of the Mets starting rotation during the 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old should be viewed as a high-floor investment for fantasy purposes as he should provide a reliable innings count with a solid ERA and a strong WHIP.