MLB Baseball
2026-07-06 - New York Mets at Atlanta Braves
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Monday 6th July 2026 - Scheduled 7:15pm EST
12:15am (British Time)
Preview
The NBA Championship may be sitting in New York City for the next several months, but the two Baseball teams have both had a tough month and need to find something positive before the All Star Break. The New York Yankees are still in a decent enough position to turn things around, but the New York Mets (37-53) may be one of the big disappointments in the Major League considering the investment made to push this team towards the top of the National League.
Instead they are propping up the National League East and they are 16 games behind the leading Atlanta Braves (52-36), but the real embarrassment for the Mets is that they are 11.5 games out of the Wild Card race.
With less than a month to go before the trade deadline, the New York Mets are almost certainly going to be considering trading key pieces away in order to reset for 2027.
Plenty of motivation can be taken from playing spoiler for those within the Division, but the New York Mets will also be aware that time is running out to make one last bid to get involved in the post-season discussion.
They will hand the ball to Freddy Peralta who has a 5-7 record and 4.81 ERA in eighteen starts this season and the decision to leave the Milwaukee Brewers to play in Gotham has not worked out as he would have hoped, at least not right now. He is considered a genuine contender to be traded for the second time in a number of months having arrived in New York with a year left on his contract extension signed with Milwaukee, but the Mets will have to take a loss on the deal.
Freddy Peralta has enough Major League experience under his belt and numbers that will intrigue suitors who are pushing for Playoff spots. He has been struggling for consistency on the mound and began July by giving up five runs in 4 Innings to pick up his latest decision loss.
The last decision win earned by Freddy Peralta came in a start against the Atlanta Braves last month when allowing a single run in 5 Innings thrown, but that was a game played at home.
The Atlanta Braves will counter by handing the ball to Reynaldo Lopez who has a 4-1 record and 3.31 ERA from twenty appearances in 2026, although only seven have been in starts. He has effectively pitched as an opener when Lopez has been asked to start, but the pitcher began July by holding the St Louis Cardinals to a single run in 5 Innings thrown in a start and earned the decision win.
He has not started against the New York Mets this season, but Reynaldo Lopez threw a single Inning in relief without giving up a run in the same game that Freddy Peralta had started last month.
This is the seventh game between these Divisional rivals in 2026 and the previous six have been split with three wins apiece.
Prediction
Trade rumours can begin to be a real distraction for players at this time of the season and those are swirling around Freddy Peralta, who could be on the move for the second time in the space of a few months.
He has struggled for consistency and that could be an issue when starting for the struggling New York Mets.
The Atlanta Braves may not give Reynaldo Lopez too much scope for error, but the pitcher has shown he can get through some early Innings in a starting role and can set his team up for a victory.
The Pick :
Atlanta Braves 4-3 New York Mets
