The New York Mets returned home this weekend and completed a three-game sweep of the division-rival Washington Nationals with a 4-3 victory Sunday.
The sweep marked New York’s second of August, following a road sweep of the Cleveland Guardians earlier in the month.
With the victory, the Mets improved to 56-69 and are now preparing to welcome the San Diego Padres for a three-game series beginning Monday.
After finishing off Washington, New York made a notable roster decision by promoting Christopher Morel from Triple-A Syracuse.
The former Chicago Cubs slugger and versatile infielder has been called up after putting together an outstanding stretch in the minors.
The move also comes as the Mets continue searching for answers at third base, giving Morel an opportunity to prove that his power and defensive versatility can translate back to the major-league level.
Morel’s 2026 season has been a tale of two very different stretches. He began the year with the Miami Marlins but missed the first month because of an oblique injury before returning April 28.
In 22 games, primarily playing first base, he struggled badly at the plate, hitting just .162/.219/.206 with a .425 OPS, no home runs and only one RBI.
Miami designated him for assignment June 21, after which Morel became a free agent and eventually signed a minor-league contract with New York.
His performance completely changed once he arrived in Syracuse, where he hit .321/.382/.716 with a remarkable 1.098 OPS, 12 home runs and 29 RBIs in 31 games.
Morel originally broke into the majors with the Chicago Cubs in 2022 at just 22 years old and quickly established himself as a versatile player capable of moving around the diamond.
He showed flashes of power in his rookie season before taking another step forward in 2023, when he hit .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs over 107 games.
After struggling during 2024, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays and remained there through 2025. Now, after stops with three other organizations in recent seasons, Morel is getting another opportunity with the Mets.
His promotion comes with his 500th career MLB game approaching, and New York will be hoping his power surge at Syracuse can carry over while his career strikeout rate of 30.7% becomes less of a concern.
