Preview: St. Lucie Mets at Tampa Tarpons

TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The St. Lucie Mets and Tampa Tarpons will meet Friday, May 1, 2026, at George M. Steinbrenner Field, with the first pitch scheduled for a time to be announced.

St. Lucie (10-14) will send right-hander Cam Tilly to the mound. Tilly is 1-0 on the season. The Mets also have right-hander J.T. Etheridge (1-0) available, though he is not listed as the probable starter. Tampa (11-13) has not announced a starting pitcher.

Both teams enter the game on opposite trends. The Tarpons have won three consecutive games against the Mets, sweeping a doubleheader Wednesday, April 29, and winning again Thursday, April 30. In that series, Tampa outscored St. Lucie 22-15, with two of the three games requiring extra innings.

### Players to Watch

St. Lucie’s Francisco Toledo has been inconsistent but showed power in a 1-for-3 performance Thursday, with a home run and one RBI. In his previous six games, Toledo has two home runs and four RBIs. For the season, the Mets have struggled at the plate, averaging 4.2 runs per game.

Tampa’s Willy Montero has been a key run producer. On Thursday, he went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs in a 7-4 victory. He also hit safely in four of his last five games, with two home runs and five RBIs during that span.

### Recent Results

St. Lucie has lost three straight, all to Tampa. Their last win came April 26 against Palm Beach. Tampa, meanwhile, has won five of its last six games.

### Series Context

The teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday to conclude the series. St. Lucie then travels to Lakeland for six games, while Tampa heads to Fort Myers for a six-game set.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projection favors Tampa 5-4.