New York Mets vs Texas Rangers Picks and Prediction for Thursday, September 24, 2026

The New York Mets and Texas Rangers meet Thursday at Globe Life Field, with the opening pitch scheduled for 2:35 PM ET and the game televised on MLB.TV. New York is 72-85, 36-40 away and fifth in the NL East, 20 games behind Atlanta. The Mets have been eliminated from playoff contention but won three of their last four, including Tuesday’s 6-3 victory over Texas. The Rangers are 78-79, 44-35 at home and tied with Houston atop the AL West. Texas has dropped two straight and sits three games behind the final AL wild-card spot. Let’s break down the matchup with our free MLB picks.

New York Mets Finding More Offense Late in the Season

New York has scored six or more runs in three of its last four games, beating Philadelphia twice before opening this series with a 6-3 win. Juan Soto remains the main power threat, batting .275 with 26 home runs, 66 RBI and a .518 slugging percentage. Carson Benge leads the Mets with a .277 average and has added 19 homers, 62 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Bo Bichette is batting .263 with 17 home runs and a team-high 76 RBI, while Francisco Lindor has hit 20 homers.

The Mets are batting .239 with 674 runs, 194 home runs, a .310 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage. New York ranks 23rd in MLB in batting average, while the pitching staff ranks 16th with a 4.15 ERA. Mets pitchers have a 1.29 WHIP, .240 opponent average and 1,413 strikeouts. Defensively, New York ranks 24th with 92 errors and a .983 fielding percentage. The Mets have a 32-31 record in day games.

Injuries: Christian Scott (out), Jared Young (out), Daniel Duarte (out), Robert Stock (out), Jorge Polanco (out).

Texas Rangers Trying to End a Two-Game Slide

Texas has split its last five games, with victories of 7-1 and 6-2 over Toronto followed by consecutive losses. Jake Burger leads the Rangers with 27 home runs and 88 RBI, while batting .231 with a .425 slugging percentage. Ezequiel Duran has a .263 average, 17 homers, and 83 RBI. Brandon Nimmo is batting .261 with 150 hits and a .326 on-base percentage, and Josh Jung has produced a .294 average and .450 slugging percentage across 101 games.

The Rangers are batting .242 with 656 runs, 176 home runs, a .318 on-base percentage and a .396 slugging percentage. Texas ranks 18th in MLB in batting average and 22nd in pitching with a 4.28 ERA. The staff has a 1.30 WHIP and .248 opponent average with 1,301 strikeouts. Texas has been much cleaner defensively, ranking fifth with 67 errors and a .988 fielding percentage. The Rangers’ 44-35 home record is another important factor.

Injuries: Kyle Higashioka (out), Carter Baumler (out), Jose Corniell (out), Jack Leiter (out), Joc Pederson (out).

Pitching Matchup

New York Mets - Zac Thornton

Zac Thornton is 5-5 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 79.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed 74 hits and 13 home runs while recording 59 strikeouts against only 17 walks..

Texas Rangers - Undecided

Texas Rangers had not yet announced its starting pitcher at the time this preview was written.

New York Mets vs Texas Rangers Game Pick

• New York Mets

New York is the pick, with Thornton offering a solid starting point after the Mets took Tuesday’s opener 6-3. The left-hander owns a 3.40 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, while Texas has scored only 656 runs with a .242 team average. New York also has more home runs, 194 to 176, and Soto has supplied a major middle-of-the-order threat with 26 homers and a .389 on-base percentage. Texas has played well at Globe Life Field, but the Mets have enough offense to win Thursday.

New York Mets vs Texas Rangers Over/Under Pick

• Under

Under is the pick, with Thornton’s season numbers creating a good starting point for a lower-scoring game. He has allowed 74 hits in 79.1 innings and issued only 17 walks, while Texas has scored two or fewer runs in two of its last three games. The Rangers are batting .242 with a .318 on-base percentage, and New York owns a modest .239 average and .310 on-base percentage. Neither lineup has consistently produced high run totals, making another low-scoring game likely on Thursday.