MacKenzie Gore, SP
Position: SP B/T: L/L
Age: 26 (02/24/1999)
2025 Traditional Stats: 30 G, 30 GS, 159.2 IP, 5-15, 4.17 ERA, 1.353 WHIP, 185 SO, 64 BB
2025 Advanced Stats: 98 ERA+, 4.33 xERA, 3.74 FIP, 3.78 xFIP, 27.2% SO%, 9.4% BB%, 2.9 fWAR
RUNDOWN
Coming into this offseason, it was clear the New York Mets had a glaring need at the top of their rotation. Nolan McLean is on a path towards stardom, but he’s only eight starts into his big league career. The Mets need an ace to pair with him, and luckily, options exist in both free agency and the trade market. Would Framber Valdez be open to a short-term, high AAV deal? If so, the Mets are a viable destination for him.
The trade market provides them with more options. One of whom is Washington Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore, whom they have faced quite a bit over the last three years (eight times to be exact). The talent to be a top-end arm has always been there for him. Gore was taken third overall in the 2017 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, rising quickly to become one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Yet, his path to a defined role at the big league level wasn’t straightforward. Gore made his debut for the Padres in April 2022. But after just 16 appearances and 13 starts, they sent him to D.C. in a blockbuster deal for superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
Gore has had stretches where he has looked like an elite pitcher, most recently at the beginning of the 2025 season. In the first half, he pitched to a 3.02 ERA in 110 1/3 innings. Gore had 12 quality starts over that stretch, and his 11.3 strikeouts per nine were well above his career average at that point. He was in the midst of a breakout campaign, good enough to be named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
But after the break, things went south. To open the second half, he gave up a season-high eight earned runs against his former team. Following that outing, he pitched to a 3.74 ERA over his final seven starts. But his performance levels took a big hit after the All-Star break. As the season progressed, his strikeouts went down, and teams started to hit a few home runs against him. It appeared as if Gore ran out of gas over the final month or two.
For 2025, he ranked in the 80th percentile for whiff rate and strikeout percentage. But from a worrisome point of view, he ranked in the 20th percentile for hard-hit rate percentage, 19th percentile for average exit velocity against and the 14th percentile for barrel percentage. Gore has the stuff to strike anyone out, but when things are not working, opponents are either unloading against him or drawing walks. Not a good combination. For him to reach the next level, he needs to be more consistent across those metrics.
PACKAGE
Gore has two years of control remaining on his contract, making him an enticing trade target. With a league-wide lockout potentially looming in 2027, the assumption is that the Nationals will move him this offseason to receive the best package possible. The price for Gore might be higher because the Mets are in the same division as the Nationals. However, the Marlins nabbed baseball’s 47th-best prospect (Owen Caissie) as the headline return for Edward Cabrera.
Simply put, the price for Gore will be high.
METS RECEIEVE
- LHP MacKenzie Gore
NATIONALS RECEIVE
- RHP Brandon Sproat (Mets’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline)
- IF Jacob Reimer (Mets’ No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline)
- OF Nick Morabito (Mets’ No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline)
The additional year of control means the package needs to be a bit more to get Gore. Sproat would immediately be a part of the Nationals’ rotation, allowing him to break out in 2026. Reimer would be another great get for Washington, and Morabito could be a factor in the big leagues, potentially in 2027. It’s a significant package, but that will be required if the Mets want to acquire a starter from an in-division rival.
RECOMMENDATION
With a qualifying offer attached to Valdez, I don’t envision a scenario in which Steve Cohen and David Stearns forfeit two more draft picks to get him. Adding a starter via a trade is the most logical solution after signing Bo Bichette. I like Gore, but if the Mets are searching for a consistent, elite arm, I think they should look elsewhere. They have the prospect capital to acquire Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta. Both of them are entering the final year of their contracts, making it very feasible for the Mets to land one of them. Gore is a solid alternative, but not the ideal target to fill their hole at the top of the rotation.
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