I’m not sure if you’ve heard about this, but the Mets and the Dodgers spend a lot of money on their rosters. Like, the most money.
There are larger conversations to be had about MLB and parity, but for the moment, let’s just enjoy the clash of superteams in Los Angeles.
Can New York bounce back after getting shutout in the opening game of the series? Let’s preview this lauded National League clash and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Mets vs. Dodgers prediction, preview
I mentioned that the Mets were held scoreless on Monday. That’s an issue for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s a microcosm of a problem that’s becoming very macro for New York. This team just can not find the scoreboard. Juan Soto (calf) last took the field on April 3 before heading to the 10-day IL. In the nine games that the Mets have since played, the team is slashing .230/.267/.308 with a 65 wRC+ and a league-low .079 ISO. They’ve actually been shutout in almost half of those nine contests, including three of their last four games overall. Heck, a New York player hasn’t crossed home plate since Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run in the seventh inning on Saturday. Yikes.
The second issue is more specific to tonight’s proceedings. For a club that’s struggling this much to produce, a date with Yoshinobu Yamamoto is not what the doctor ordered. The RHP has been pretty much what we’ve all come to expect in his first three outings of 2026, maintaining a 2.50 ERA across 18.0 innings of work. Yamamoto’s 20.9% strikeout rate is down from 2025, yet a 12.9% swinging strike rate is right in-line with his career norms. If anything, the reduction in raw strikeouts almost makes it more impressive that Yamamoto’s still managed a 7.00 K/BB ratio. The man is simply one of the best starting pitchers in the world — if the World Series didn’t make that crystal clear for all baseball fans.
Opposing Yamamoto this evening, and trying to keep the Mets within striking distance, will be Nolan McLean. We’ve only seen McLean make 11 starts at the MLB level, yet even with that small sample, the right-hander has shown glimpses of a ceiling that could actually rival Yamamoto and some of the sport’s elite. In 2026, McLean has pitched to a 2.70 ERA and a 1.94 xERA over three appearances and 16.2 innings. The 24-year-old relies heavily on his sinker, which he’s used in 35.0% of counts so far this season. Opponents are hitting just .095 off the offering with a .158 wOBA. That pitch is the key to McLean suppressing opponent launch angle as well as he does. However, he’ll be in tough against a Los Angeles lineup that leads baseball in ISO by a massive margin (.204).
Mets vs. Dodgers pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 7.5 (-115)
The Mets have been shutout over their past two games and now they’ll have to face Yamamoto. McLean is good enough to keep the Dodgers in relative check, while each of these squads also owns a top-10 bullpen by ERA. Just loads of above-averaging pitching in this one.
Strong Lean: Nolan McLean Over 15.5 Outs Recorded (+115)
McLean’s pitched to a 1.94 xERA this season. He’s gone over this prop in his last two outings, and the only reason he isn’t 3-for-3 this season is that he was limited to 84 pitches in his first outing of 2026. He’s fully built up now. Bet away.
