Where Ron Darling would start in rescuing the Mets pitching staff

Blips of dominance have arisen within the starting rotation since Jacob deGrom’s departure, but the Mets, in a sense, have been ace-less over the last three seasons.

Kodai Senga looked the part late in 2023 before injuries derailed him over the next two seasons.

Sean Manaea emerged as a de facto ace a season later, only to regress in 2025.

And this season it took the August call-up of rookie Nolan McLean for the Mets to have a pitcher with an ace vibe following a hot start from Senga that turned into a nosedive.