The Mets are operating in a different universe. New York is well under .500 with interim manager Andy Green running the show after Carlos Mendoza's midseason firing, and while the record says lost season, Green's group has quietly played better baseball lately — reportedly going 10-3 since the trade deadline. It's the kind of stretch that doesn't show up in the standings but says something about how this roster is playing out the year.
Both clubs still have games to get through before Sunday. Houston closes out its set with the Yankees first, then opens this series against the Mets on Friday and Saturday — and New York has its own business against Milwaukee before hosting the Astros for the same two games. Whatever happens in those matchups will shape who's rested, who's available, and what this lineup card looks like by the time the finale rolls around.
The names to watch are the ones easing back. Juan Soto has been taking live batting practice and getting reps in left field as he works back from a calf strain, and Correa has been cleared to hit off a tee in his own ankle rehab — neither is an option for this series, but both are reminders that these rosters won't look the same for long. For now, it's an Astros club fighting for October against a Mets team just trying to finish the year on its own terms.