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Citizens Bank Park will be the center of attention on Saturday night as two NL East rivals – the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies – square off in a nationally televised matchup on FOX. With both teams hovering around playoff contention as we head into the summer stretch of the 2025 MLB season, this game carries significance well beyond mid-June. It’s a showcase of young pitching, surging hitters and postseason urgency. Let’s break it down.
The Mets have had a good 2025 campaign, leading the NL East. Under manager Carlos Mendoza, the club has focused on blending veteran experience with emerging young talent and it has worked.
A big reason for their success has been the rise of young starters, including Saturday night’s pitcher, Griffin Canning. Acquired in the offseason from the Angels, Canning has been a stabilizing force in a rotation that’s dealt with its share of injuries. His command has improved significantly and he’s been particularly effective against right-handed hitters. Canning enters the game with a 3.80 ERA but is coming off back-to-back poor outings, pitching just 9.2 innings combined over the two, allowing 10 runs.
Offensively, you would think the first name to come up would be Juan Soto, but the results have been mixed so far. He does, however, have a WAR of 3.0, leading the team. It has been veteran first baseman Pete Alonso who has been the Mets’ best offensive player, hitting above .285 and leading the team in RBIs.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor has been very solid as well. His glove has been there like it always is and he is currently sitting with a 2.6 WAR. Lindor is also leading the team in steals, helping the team in many different ways. If these three guys can keep up this play and Juan Soto gets a bit better, the Mets are going to be a tough out in the postseason.
The Phillies come into this game with momentum, having surged in the NL East standings over the past few weeks after scuffling a bit. At the forefront is Mick Abel, Saturday night’s starter and one of the most exciting young arms in the National League.
Abel, a 23-year-old right-hander, has made steady progress in his first full MLB season. He boasts a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and a developing slider that has become a true out pitch. With a 2.21 ERA, Abel has looked more confident than ever in his four starts this season. He’s coming off a good start, going five innings and allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out three.
At the plate, the Phillies are being led by a familiar core. Bryce Harper remains the heart and soul of the team but is out with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, Alec Bohm has evolved into a consistent contact hitter with gap power. Plus, you still have Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner anchoring the lineup.
Once Harper returns to the lineup and gets into a groove, there are not many scarier lineups in MLB. It is just a matter of whether Philadelphia’s pitching can hold together, which has been very good even with Aaron Nola struggling.
With the main focus on Abel and Canning, the game will ultimately be decided by the bats and one player to watch closely is Alec Bohm.
With Bryce Harper sidelined, Bohm has stepped up as a key run producer in the heart of the Phillies’ lineup. The 28-year-old third baseman has been swinging a hot bat in June, hitting over .300 for the month with a noticeable uptick in slugging. He’s become more aggressive on pitches in the zone – especially fastballs, which he’s crushing at a career-best rate.
Bohm also matches up well against Griffin Canning’s pitch mix. Canning leans heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider, and Bohm has been one of the Phillies’ best hitters against both pitches this season. He’s making consistent hard contact and has been especially effective at Citizens Bank Park, where his OPS is over .850 in 2025.
With Harper out, Bohm has become a centerpiece of the Phillies’ offense. Against a right-hander like Canning, who occasionally struggles with command early in counts, Bohm should get pitches to hit – he’s been making them count and that should continue in this one.
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.