Musings
As Conor Gillaspie joined the ranks of Dave Henderson, Mike Scioscia, and Yadier Molina, all I was felt with was the feeling of “What if . . . ?”
It was one of several questions, I have thinking about last night’s Wild Card Game. Not all of these are second-guesses, nor are they are particularly the reason why the Mets lost the game. Clearly, the Mets lost the game because Madison Bumgarner was Madison Bumgarner. Furthermore, not all of these questions have answers. Still, there are some questions that just need to be asked:
- If Kelly Johnson didn’t feel comfortable playing first base, did the Mets consider playing him in right field? KJ was 7-20 off Bumgarner and Jay Bruce was 3-23 heading into the game.
- Why were the Mets batters so aggressive early in the game? The idea was to outlast Bumgarner and get into the Giants bullpen. Instead, Bumgarner needed just 21 pitches to get through the first three innings putting him well on pace to finish the game.
- If the Mets carried Kevin Plawecki to give them three catchers to permit Travis d’Arnaud to hit for Rene Rivera when the Mets needed offense, why did Rivera bat in the bottom of the seventh when you already knew Noah Syndergaard was coming out of the game?
- Also, with a tight game, once Rivera came out, why wasn’t d’Aranud double switched into the game with the pitcher’s spot due up in the eighth? Doing that would’ve permitted the Mets to go two innings with Reed. Note, as it turned out with Reed throwing 20 pitches in the eighth, this became a bit of a moot point.
- If you were going to pinch hit Eric Campbell for James Loney late in the game for offense, why not just start Campbell at first? Loney is awful against left-handed pitching, and he’s even worse than that against Bumgarner.
- How healthy was Lucas Duda? If he was good to go even for a pinch hitting appearance, he needed to be on the roster.
- How was it that Campbell and Ty Kelly were the Mets first two options to pinch hit off the bench? It’s astounding to think about how you couldn’t really argue that much with the decision.
- After the T.J. Rivera double, should the Mets have gone all-in on the inning considering that was most likely going to be their best chance to score off Bumgarner? If Bruce is unable to bunt, couldn’t you have brought in Juan Lagares to lay one down? Do you at least consider pinch hitting for Rivera in that spot, especially with Loney on deck? If Lagares did come into the game, you at least had his defense in center field for what was a tightly contested ball game.
- Should Terry Collins have ordered Jeurys Familia to walk Gillaspie? If you do, you create an out at any base, and you definitively get Bumgarner out of the game. For what it’s worth, I completely agreed with the decision to pitch to Gillaspie, but I still think the question needs to be raised.
- Was this the last time we will see Yoenis Cespedes, Duda, and David Wright wearing a Mets uniform? Duda and Wright were on the field wearing their Mets uniform for player introductions.
Ultimately, Collins did a terrific job last night. While you can argue with some decisions, he put his team in position to win that game, and his players didn’t execute. Even if one or two things change, the Mets still probably lose this game, which is the most depressing thought of all. With all of these questions that linger unanswered there is one remaining that we will find out the answer to around the same time next year:
Can the Mets get back to this point for a third straight season?
That is the biggest question of all.
Do you remember who got the game winning hit in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series? It is one thing that is not often discussed because Jack Morris pitched a game so great that people cannot shake the idea that he should be a Hall of Famer. In the other dugout was a young right-hander named John Smoltz who matched Morris pitch for pitch. There were pivotal plays in that game you can point to as to why the Twins ultimately won. However, the biggest reason was Morris was able to go the distance and the young Smoltz was only able to go 7.1 innings.
Last night wasn’t the World Series. However, it was a winner-take-all game featuring just a tremendous pitching match-up. The Giants had the grizzled veteran, Madison Bumgarner, who has laid claim to the best active postseason pitcher, if not all time. The Mets were sending out Noah Syndergaard, who throws harder than anyone in baseball and is coming off a Cy Young caliber award season. Simply put, you do not get better than this.
Bumgarner and Syndergaard were even more dominant than you would’ve thought they could be. Combined, the two aces threw 227 pitches. Only six of those pitches would result in base hits. The two would combine for 16 strikeouts with just five walks. No one would reach third base against them let alone score a run. In July, this is a game that is game you would call an instant classic. In the postseason, this is a game for the ages.
In the end, what did the Mets in was the fact Syndergaard was only able to go seven, and the Mets didn’t take advantage of their chances to score off Bumgarner.
The best chance came in the fifth when T.J. Rivera hit a leadoff double. After a Jay Bruce strikeout, T.J. was quickly erased when Rene Rivera hit a grounder to the shortstop Brandon Crawford. Being the Gold Glover and smart baseball player he was, Crawford caught T.J. straying just a little too far off second. T.J. did alleviate some of the gaffe by forcing a run down that allowed Rene to get to second. Ultimately, it didn’t matter as James Loney was intentionally walked, and then Syndergaard struck out to end not just the inning, but also the Mets only real threat of the game.
It was important to cash in there as no one was scoring off these pitchers today. Syndergaard had a no-hitter going for 5.2 innings until Denard Span hit a single up the middle. Span would try to turn this into a rally by stealing second (he was caught by Rivera earlier in the game), but it didn’t matter as Curtis Granderson turned into Endy Chavez for one play:
As we would find out later in the game, Endy Chavez was the right analogy.
Overall, the Giants could do nothing against Syndergaard. He would pitch seven innings allowing just two hits while walking three. He just dominated the Giants lineup. Perhaps the best evidence of this is his 10 strikeouts on the night.
The turning point in the game was Syndergaard getting lifted. It was completely the right move, and there should be no one second guessing it. By that point, he had thrown 108 pitches, and he started to look gassed as he put the Giants to rest.
With Syndergaard out of the game, the Giants bats seemed to awaken. Conor Gillaspie (more on him in a minute) greeted Addison Reed with a leadoff single. After a Bumgarner sacrifice bunt, the Giants had a runner in scoring position with the top of their lineup coming up. Reed would get Span to pop out for the second out setting the stage for a battle with Brandon Belt. Reed really got squeezed in this at-bat with him throwing two or three clear strikes that were just not called. Not only was Reed a bit flummoxed, but Rene seemed as if he was as well. On the very next pitch, Reed got one over that Rene just missed (by the way the home plate umpire missed it too as it should have been called a strike).
This sent runners to second and third. The Mets made the obvious choice there to intentionally walk Buster Posey to get to Hunter Pence. There was an ominous tone to the inning with the umpire missing strike calls, and the Giants seemingly gaining confidence with Syndergaard out of the game. Reed then showed the world why he was the best relief pitcher in the National League this season by striking out Pence to keep the game tied up at 0-0.
After another feckless turn at the plate, the Mets brought in Jeurys Familia.
He was in trouble immediately. Crawford lined an opposite field double. On the play, Yoenis Cespedes didn’t run hard after it. If he was completely healthy, he has the speed to cut that ball off and keep Crawford at first. What we don’t know is how healthy that leg is or whether or not he has that extra gear to cut that ball off. What we do know if that he didn’t even try to do it. With Crawford on second, the Giants had the exact situation the Mets squandered in the fifth inning.
Despite Angel Pagan trying to give himself up, Familia was having issues throwing strikes to him. Many of his pitches landed short of home plate. Still, Familia battled back into the at-bat, and after Pagan was unable to get the bunt down, Familia struck him out. Familia then had similar issues with Joe Panik eventually walking him despite being 2-2 on him. This set the stage for Gillaspie to have his Gene Larkin moment:
For what it’s worth, it was Alejandro Pena that gave up the walk-off hit to Larkin. The Braves had obtained Pena from the Mets and made him the closer in the stretch drive.
Given Granderson’s catch earlier in the game, you could also refer to this as Gillaspie’s Yadier Molina moment. Older Mets fans will call this the Mike Scioscia moment.
This was a crushing blow, not just because it gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, but also because it allowed Bruce Bochy to keep Bumgarner in the game instead of going to a bullpen the Mets were desperate to get into all game long. Bumgarner came out in the ninth and made quick work of Cespedes, Granderson, and T.J.
This would be Bumgarner’s second complete game shutout on the road in the Wild Card Game. He showed the Mets and the entire world why he is the best big game pitcher in all of baseball. Oddly enough, he had been bested by the Mets young ace, Syndergaard. While Syndergaard might’ve bested him, Bumgarner outlasted him. Ultimately, that is why the Giants are going to Chicago and why the Mets season is over.
If you’re not a Mets fan, this has to be one of the best baseball games you have ever seen in your life. If you are a Mets fan, you walk away taking stock in the fact that Syndergaard had the game of his life at a time when the Mets needed him most. This year, Syndergaard didn’t just establish himself as the Mets ace; he established himself as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Last night, he took that a step further by announcing he’s a big game pitcher that’s every bit as good as Bumgarner. In what has been a tough end to the season, Syndergaard gives you hope for the future.
For the first time in their history, the Mets can defend their pennant in the postseason. Better yet, the Mets get to defend their National League crown on their own turf.
The Mets are sending their ace Noah Syndergaard to the mound. Bear in mind, Syndergaard is not the ace by default. From the minute Syndergaard started throwing 95 MPH sliders to accompany his 100 MPH fastball, he was fast on his way to becoming the staff ace regardless of the injuries to Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. In the 2016 season, Syndergaard led the major leauges in FIP while also allowing the fewest home runs per nine innings. He also finished .001 behind Max Scherzer for the best K/BB ratio in the National League. All told, even with the every other year narrative and Madison Bumgarner‘s postseason history, the Mets actually have the starting pitching advantage.
That advantage gets amplified when you consider the Giants just do not hit Syndergaard. As a team, the Giants are batting .170/.241/.226 with just one home run against Syndergaard. The Giants projected starting lineup is just 8-44 against Syndergaard with a home run and nine strikeouts. So long as Syndergard goes out there and pitches against the Giants batters like he has done in his short career, he is going to give the Mets every chance to beat Bumgarner and the Giants.
The Mets have a chance to beat Bumgarner too. The first three batters in the Mets lineup, Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Yoenis Cespedes, have each hit Bumgarner well. Towards the bottom of the lineup, both Riveras, T.J. Rivera and Rene Rivera, have had success in the one game they have faced Bumgarner. This is a big reason why the Mets were able to score four runs off Bumgarner in just five innings. With Syndergaard on the mound, and Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia to follow, the Mets are not going to need as many runs this go round against Bumgarner.
Speaking of the bullpen, there has been no better tandem to close out a game than Reed and Familia. On the opposite side of the ledger, the Giants blew the most saves in all of baseball. They came just short of the all-time single season blown saves record. The Giants still don’t know who their closer will be this postseason. If it comes down to a battle of the bullpens, the Mets definitively have the better pen.
Tonight should be baseball at its best. You’re going to see two of the best pitchers in baseball, both of who have had success in the postseason, squaring off in a winner-take-all game. Given the Mets having home field, and the numbers at play, you have to like the Mets chances tonight.
Lets Go Mets!
In Wednesday’s Wild Card Game, Noah Syndergaard will have to be at his best because Madison Bumgarner is not only a great postseason pitcher, but he is also great against the Mets. In Bumgarner’s career, he has made six starts against the Mets going 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA and a 1.025 WHIP. In four starts at Citi Field, Bumgarner is 4-0 with a 0.62 ERA and a 0.828 WHIP.
The only time Syndergaard and Bumgarner have gone head-to-head was on May 1st of this year in a matchup that was best remember by Mets fans as the day Michael Conforto began struggling. Bumgarner would get the better of that matchup earning the win over Syndergaard, who struggled in the wet weather. In Syndergaard’s career, he has made three starts against the Giants going 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.119 WHIP. He’s going to have to be better than that if the Mets are going to have a chance to win the Wild Card Game. Simply put, Syndergaard is going to have to be dominant against a Giants 40 man roster he has fared pretty well against in his career:
Presumed Starting Lineup:
- Denard Span 0-6, K
- Brandon Belt 0-6, RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
- Buster Posey 3-6, K
- Hunter Pence 1-5, HR, 2 RBI, K
- Brandon Crawford 2-8, K
- Angel Pagan 0-5, RBI, BB, K
- Joe Panik 2-6
- Conor Gillaspie – never faced
- Madison Bumgarner 0-2, K
Bench
- Gregor Blanco 0-3, K
- Trevor Brown 0-1, BB
- Eduardo Nunez 1-3, K
- Kelby Tomlinson 0-2
Never Faced (2016 v. RHP):
- Ehire Adrianza 4-29, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K
- Gordon Beckham 35-168, 13 2B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 17 BB, 35 K
- Gorkys Hernandez 5-21, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 7 K
- Jarrett Parker 26-90, 2 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 17 BB, 29 K
- Tony Sanchez – no major league at-bats this season
Looking over the numbers, the only batter that scares you facing Syndergaard is Posey. Fact is, no matter what the numbers were, you were going to be scared of him no matter what. Other than Posey, and one bat pitch to Pence, Syndergaard has completely dominated this Giants team. Therefore, if Syndergaard goes out there and pitches against the Giants players like he always does, the Mets stand to have an excellent chance of outlasting Bumgarner and winning the Wild Card Game.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online.
As we head to the Wild Card Game, we already know that we are going to see an epic pitching matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard. Presumably, this game is going to be won and lost on which pitcher blinks first and allows a run. It is going to be a daunting task for both offenses.
In Bumgarner’s career, he has made six starts against the Mets going 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA and a 1.025 WHIP. In four starts at Citi Field, Bumgarner is 4-0 with a 0.62 ERA and a 0.828 WHIP. Bumgarner faced the Mets twice this year with very different results.
On a May 1st game at Citi Field, Bumgarner earned the win pitching six shutout innings allowing six hits and three walks while striking out seven. On an August 18th game at AT&T Park, in what was supposed to be a pitcher’s duel against Jacob deGrom, both pitchers struggled. Bumgarner still got the win despite allowing six hits, four runs, four earned, and three walks with six strikeouts over just five innings.
With that in mind, looking at the recent history, the Mets do have something to build their confidence against Bumgarner as they head into Wednesday’s game. There’s reason for confidence because the healthy Mets on the 40 man roster have actually fared well against Bumgarner:
Presumable Starting Lineup
- Jose Reyes 3-9
- Asdrubal Cabrera 3-7, 2 RBI, K
- Yoenis Cespedes 3-10, 2B, RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
- Curtis Granderson 0-3, BB, K
- Jay Bruce 3-23, HR, 4 RBI, 6 K
- T.J. Rivera 2-3
- Lucas Duda 0-1
- Rene Rivera 2-3, 2B, HR, 5 RBI
- Noah Syndergaard 0-2, K
Bench:
- Eric Campbell 1-5, BB, 3 K
- Michael Conforto 0-3, 2 K
- Travis d’Arnaud 0-4, 2 BB, 3 K
- Kelly Johnson 7-20, 5 K
- Ty Kelly 1-2, BB
- Juan Lagares 1-9, K
- James Loney 2-13, 2B, RBI, BB, 5 K
- Kevin Plawecki 1-3
Have Never Faced Bumgarner (2016 against LHP):
- Gavin Cecchini 1-3, 2B, RBI
- Alejandro De Aza 8-41, 3 2B, RBI, 5 BB, 13 K
- Brandon Nimmo 2-7, BB, K
- Matt Reynolds 8-27, 6 2B, HR, 6 RBI, BB, 6 K
Look, anytime you face Bumgarner in an elimination game, you should not feel comfortable. In the 2014 Wild Card Game, Bumgarner pitched a complete game, four hit, one walk, 10 strikeout shutout. In Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, Bumgarner came out of the bullpen on two days rest to throw five shutout innings to give the Giants their third World Series title in five years.
Once again, this is an even numbered year, and the Giants are once again sending Bumgarner out to the mound to begin the run to another World Series. Standing in his way is 60’6″ postseason Syndergaard and a collection of Mets bats that have hit him well. The Mets have a good chance to win this game.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online.
The IBWAA Rollie Fingers Award is given to the best relief pitcher in the American League. In the history of this award, there has been no easier choice as to who should win the award:
1st – Zach Britton
All Britton did this year was have probably the best season a reliever has probably ever had in major league history. His 2016 season was better than any year Mariano Rivera had. It was better than Dennis Eckersley‘s 1992 Cy Young and MVP season for the Oakland Athletics.
Consider for a second that Pedro Martinez‘s dominant 200 season garnered him the second highest ERA+ ever recorded at 291. This narrowly trailed Tim Keefe‘s 1880 season where he recorded a 293 ERA+. Britton’s ERA+ this season is 827. No, that’s not a typo. It is actually that high. It should be noted that Britton does not have enough innings to qualify to have his ERA+ recorded as the highest ever. Still, it speaks to just how dominant Britton was.
Among major league relievers, he has the lowest ERA (.054) and the highest WAR (4.3), and it wasn’t particularly close in either category. On the season, Britton made 69 appearnces going 2-1 with 47 saves, a 0.836 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 827 ERA+, and a 1.94 FIP. This has now become the gold standard upon which all reliever seasons will be judged.
2nd – Brad Brach
Britton’s season completely overshadowed his own teammate’s incredible season. The irony is Brach’s season actually helped Britton put up some of the dominant numbers he put up this season by locking down the eighth inning.
In 2016, Brach made 71 appearances pitching 79.0 innings. He wouldn’t lead the majors or the American League in holds because quite frankly, the Orioles starting rotation wasn’t good this season. As a result, the Orioles starters would hand the bullpen either deficits or tie games to the bullpen. Brach would do his job to turn these scenarios into victories. In his 71 appearances, Brach earned a eye-popping 10 wins out of the bullpen. For the season, he was 10-4 with two saves, 24 holds, a 2.05 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 216 ERA+, and a 2.92 FIP. Overall, it was either him or Addison Reed as the best set-up man in the major leagues.
3rd – Sam Dyson
Not only did Britton overshadow his teammate, he also overshadowed another dominant closer who had a breakout season. Dyson had about as dominant a season you will see any closer have in baseball. However, if he was looking to get noticed, he had his great season the wrong year.
In what has been Dyson’s first season as a closer, he has gone 3-2 with 38 saves, a 1.223 WHIP, 7.0 K/9, 186 ERA+, and a 3.62 FIP. For a Rangers team that won almost all of their games by a razor thin margin, Dyson’s job as the closer was made all the more important. His 38 saves and 2.9 WAR would have been the best for a closer in the American League this season. However, he happened to have this great year at the same time Britton had his otherworldly season.
The Mets entered the month completely out of the NL East race and 1.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. The Mets had an easy schedule the rest of the way, but they did not have an easy ride. Disaster would strike the Mets rotation, and tragedy would affect the Marlins, the Mets, and all of baseball. The Mets were able to fight through all of this to not only make it back to the postseason, but also get the Wild Card Game at Citi Field.
Bear in mind, these grades are on a curve. If a bench player gets an A and a position player gets a B, it doesn’t mean the bench player is having a better year. Rather, it means the bench player is performing better in his role.
Position Players
Travis d’Arnaud (C-). It was another poor month offensively for d’Arnaud and another strong month of pitching framing and defense. As the Mets enter the postseason, he will only see himself starting one game out of every four should the Mets advance past the Wild Card Game.
Kevin Plawecki (Inc.) Plawecki was a September call-up, and he got to play in a few games down the stretch. Unfortunately, Plawecki showed no progress as a hitter in that limited sample size.
Rene Rivera (B+). Yes, Rivera was horrible at the plate during the final month of the season. However, he was entrusted by Collins to mentor and catch a couple of young pitchers who the Mets desperately needed to step up in order to get the Mets to the postseason. Rivera succeeded. His mentoring and calming influence behind the plate is a large reason why the Mets are back in the postseason.
Lucas Duda (B). Duda gets credit just for being able to step onto the field. The fact that he was able to hit and play a good defensive first base was even better. If he can play, he is going to be the Mets first baseman this postseason.
James Loney (C). Loney did break his second half slump by hitting three pretty big homers for the Mets. Still, he did not hit much, and his defense at first leaves a lot to be desired. His ability to play in the postseason largely hinges on Duda’s availability.
Neil Walker (Inc). Walker couldn’t play in the final month of the season as he had to have season ending back surgery. It’ll be interesting to see how the Mets proceed as Walker was well on his way to justifying a qualifying offer and a contract offer to return next season.
David Wright (Inc.). It was strange to see the Mets celebrate making the postseason but not seeing them there to celebrate. His teammates have requested he be there on Wednesday, which goes to show you how much he means to them.
Asdrubal Cabrera (A+). He was the best hitter in baseball over the final month of the season.
Wilmer Flores (B). Flores was having another terrific month in what was a career year until he got injured. Yes, Collins should have pinch ran for him, and no, Tim Teufel should not have sent him. With that said, none of them told him to slide into home head first leading to him suffering a season ending wrist injury.
Eric Campbell (B). Campbell returned, and he reminded everyone why the Mets seem more infatuated with him more than anyone else in baseball. He was an effective pinch hitter that could draw an occasional walk. He also played good defense at the corner infield positions while being able to play up the middle in a pinch.
Matt Reynolds (A). Not only was Reynolds able to hit well in the final month of the season, he was able to effectively spell Cabrera here and there. By Reynolds being a solid player, he was able to allow Collins to steal a couple of innings here and there to keep his infield fresh for the postseason.
Ty Kelly (B). Kelly had a solid month as a pinch hitter and pinch runner for the Mets. Given his switch hitting ability and defensive versatility, he at least played his way into the conversation for one of the last few postseason roster spots. Even if he is left off the roster, it is a testament to him that he was able to put himself in the conversation.
Michael Conforto (B). When he got a chance to start, he hit. As the month progressed, he showed he could be a valuable pinch hitter. It’ll be interesting to see what the Mets plans are for him in the postseason.
Yoenis Cespedes (C-). Cespedes finally struggled this season with his worst offensive numbers as a Met. It is puzzling to see Cespedes struggle this much when he was seemingly healthy for the month. He did hit some homers down the stretch. Hopefully, he snaps out of it because the Mets are going to need him.
Curtis Granderson (A+). We finally saw the Granderson of 2015 re-emerge, and it was not a moment too soon. He put up his best numbers of the year while hitting an astounding eight homers. Always one to do whatever the Mets need, he shifted to center field to allow Bruce to play. If Granderson can repeat his 2015 postseason, the Mets can make a run.
Juan Lagares (B). It was a shock that he was activated from the Disabled List considering he was unable to play in any minor league rehab games. As the final weeks progressed, Lagares was finally able to swing a bat putting him in play for a postseason roster spot. He didn’t get a hit in his nine games, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is he is still a Gold Glover out there, and his glove will be needed in the late innings of the postseason.
Alejandro De Aza (B+). De Aza finished up a bizarre 2016 season with an impressive month as a bench player. He got on base, and he played a decent center field. During the month, he solidified his spot on the postseason roster.
Kelly Johnson (D). Johnson’s impressive run with the Mets finally hit a snag. He struggled in the final month of the season, and despite the injuries to Walker and Flores, he still couldn’t hold down the second base job. Still, he had a strong season, and he has shown the Mets he can be a valuable pinch hitter.
Brandon Nimmo (A). Nimmo had some terrific pinch hitting appearances down the stretch. Due to the Mets glut of outfielders, he will not be a candidate for a postseason spot. However, with the way he played this season, he has shown the Mets he can be a part of their future.
Jose Reyes (C). Reyes came back down to Earth in the final month of the season putting up his worse offensive numbers. This grade would be lower, but he did get a HUGE game tying home run that staved off a four game losing streak late in the season.
T.J. Rivera (A). With the injuries, Rivera was able to earn the second base job. He played a better than advertised defensive second base, and he sprayed line drives all over the field.
Justin Ruggiano (Inc). Once he was put on the 60 day disabled list, his season was over. Strangely enough, with the Mets facing Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in the Wild Card Game, he will actually be missed.
Jay Bruce (B+). Bruce went from people wondering aloud if he would be left off the postseason roster and whether the Mets would pick up his option to becoming the Mets hottest hitter in the final couple of weeks of the season. It is fair to say the Mets may not have won the Wild Card if not for him stepping up.
Gavin Cecchini (Inc). Cecchini did not get into many games despite being a September call-up. When he did get to play, Cecchini showed the Mets he has the ability to hit major league pitching. He just might have put himself in the second base conversation for 2017.
Pitchers
Matt Harvey (Inc). As the Mets embark on the postseason, his ability to pitch in the big games is sorely going to be missed.
Jacob deGrom (Inc). deGrom made one start in the final month of the season. Time and again, he tried toughing through injury, but he just couldn’t do it. Eventually, he was forced to elect season ending surgery over another postseason run.
Noah Syndergaard (B). Syndergaard had a good, but not great final month of the season. While he had a clunker against the Braves, he did rebound to have a tremendous start in an emotionally filled game against the Marlins. Right then and there, he put the Mets back on track, and he allowed them to re-focus on the postseason.
Steven Matz (Inc). Like deGrom, Matz tried to pitch through injury, but he just couldn’t do it. Matz would not make a September start, and he eventually elected for season ending surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.
Bartolo Colon (C). Colon struggled in the final month of the season, and he really struggled in the game against the Marlins that Jose Fernandez was supposed to pitch. Whether it was his foot, the emotions of the game, or being a 42 year old pitcher wearing down at the end of the season, Colon did not finish well. He has to rebound as the Mets desperately need him in the postseason.
Logan Verrett (B-). After struggling most of the season, Verrett was not in the conversation to make a start despite all the pitcher injuries. As a result, Verrett was relegated to mop up duty where he did acquit himself fairly well. Still, mop up duty is mop up duty.
Jeurys Familia (A). He finished the season being as dominant as he has ever been. He looks ready to have another great October run.
Addison Reed (A). He pitched in the final month of the season like he pitched all season long.
Jim Henderson (A). There were spots he showed his velocity was back on the rise, and as a result, he had a 1.80 ERA in limited duty. Overall, one of the great unanswered questions of the 2016 season is going to be what might’ve been if Collins didn’t abuse his arm in April.
Hansel Robles (A). After getting some much needed rest, Robles returned to his dominant form. With the addition of Salas, he is back to the role he is best suited for which is the Mets version of the Swiss army knife. He can got three innings if needed or he can come in for the one big strikeout. He’s an important arm that’s pitching like it.
Jerry Blevins (F). His peripherals finally caught up to him, and he lost his magic with inherited runners. Down the stretch, Collins leaned a little more heavily on Smoker in what would traditionally be spots for Blevins. Ultimately, Blevins is back to being a LOOGY, and that may not be such a bad thing after all.
Rafael Montero (F). With the starting pitcher injuries, Montero was given his last last chance with the Mets. He proved he couldn’t do it thereby forcing the Mets to go with Johnny Wholestaff whenever the fifth spot came up in the rotation.
Sean Gilmartin (D). He struggled again for the Mets in the final month of the season. He made one spot start, and he couldn’t get out of the first inning. It ended a disappointing season for him where you were left questioning whether the Mets should have used Gilmartin and Verrett in the roles they were successful in last season as opposed to needlessly flip-flopping them this year.
Erik Goeddel (D). It was more of the same from Goeddel who really struggled with the Mets this season.
Seth Lugo (A). He was terrific in the final month of the season. He was given his opportunity to start, and he made the most of it. If the Mets win the Wild Card Game, he is going to get a postseason start. It’s incredible when you sit down and think about it.
Jon Niese (Inc). He didn’t pitch after having had season ending knee surgery. Given his struggles this season, this was probably the best for all involved.
Robert Gsellman (A+). Like Lugo, Gsellman wasn’t supposed to be here. However, he wound up making six starts for a team fighting for the Wild Card. He got stronger each start, and he had a 2.06 ERA for the month. Like Lugo, he’s getting a postseason start should the Mets advance.
Gabriel Ynoa (C-). Montero’s failures led to Ynoa’s opportunity. Unlike Lugo and Gsellman, he was unable to take full advantage. A large part of the reason why could be his having gone so long without a start before Collins going back to him to take over the fifth starter’s role.
Josh Edgin (B). Edgin actually had a good month while learning to adapt to his decreased velocity. He might’ve showed the Mets that he still needs to be considered part of their future plans.
Josh Smoker (C+). Smoker showed the Mets he has the ability to pitch an inning, get both lefties and righties out, and get the big strikeout. He also showed he cannot be trusted for more than an inning. If he’s used in limited duty, he’s great. If you extend him, he’s going to get hit, and hit hard.
Fernando Salas (A). The Mets added him right before the waiver trade deadline, and he became this year’s version of Reed. He made the most appearances out of the Mets bullpen allowing Reed and Familia to rest. He also locked down the seventh inning to allow Blevins and Robles to return to the roles in which they flourish. You simply could not have asked for more from him.
Terry Collins (A). This grade overlooks several of his puzzling decisions and his putting players in position to injure themselves (Flores). All of his issues this month gets overlooked due to the class and dignity he comported himself, and his leadership in the wake of Jose Fernandez’s death. He was really able to reach out to both the Marlins to offer sympathy, and he was able to reach his players to have them show both the proper reverence while still getting them to compete.
With the addition of John Olerud and the emergence of Rick Reed, the 1997 Mets made a tremendous leap forward going 88-74 to be a factor in the Wild Card race. However, they would eventually lose out to a Florida Marlins team that was literally built to win the World Series that one season.
After that season, the Marlins disbanded because, as we were first learning out, that’s what the Marlins do when they win. The Mets were one of the main beneficiaries of the the offseason sell-off with them obtaining Al Leiter and Dennis Cook. Then the real boon came when the Marlins had swung a deal with the Dodgers to obtain Mike Piazza to unload a bunch of big contracts. With the Mets struggling, due in large part to Todd Hundley‘s elbow injury, the Mets moved quickly and added Piazza. With a week left in the season, the Mets won to go to 88-68. All the Mets needed to do in the final week of the season was to win one more game to at least force a playoff with the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs for the Wild Card. They didn’t. Once again, finishing the year 88-74 was not good enough for the Wild Card.
Entering the final game of the 2016 season, with the Mets having already clinched the Wild Card, the Mets needed just one more win to finish the year at 88-74.
There was a version of me 20 years younger that wanted to see the Mets get that win to erase some of the bad feelings that an 88-74 record created. It was going to be a difficult task because the Mets objective wasn’t to win this game. The sole objective was to just get through it with everybody healthy so as not to compromise the team for the winner-take-all Wild Card Game this Wednesday at Citi Field.
For starters, it was Gabriel Ynoa who took the mound instead of Noah Syndergaard. Terry Collins would also give an at-bat a piece to Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Yoenis Cespedes. Jay Bruce would get two. T.J. Rivera, Jose Reyes, Rene Rivera, and Travis d’Arnaud would not play. This was a full-on keep people fresh and don’t get anyone injured operation.
Ynoa would acquit himself well even if he couldn’t go five. He would only throw 52 pitches in 4.2 innings allowing five hits, one run, one earned, and one walk with two strikeouts. Collins would lift him for Jerry Blevins, who is probably the one Mets reliever who could’ve used some work, to get out of the fifth. At that point, the Phillies were only up 1-0 on a third inning Maikel Franco RBI single.
The Mets would eventually go ahead in this game making the 88-74 season a reality. In the sixth, Matt Reynolds doubled, and he would score on an Alejandro De Aza RBI singles. In the seventh, Kelly Johnson hit a leadoff single, and he would score on a Kevin Plawecki two out RBI double.
The lead would not last long as the Phillies went to work against Erik Goeddel in the bottom of the seventh. After an Andres Blanco single, an Aaron Altherr walk, and a Lucas Duda throwing error, the Phillies loaded the bases with no outs. Cesar Hernandez brought home the first two runs on an RBI single, and then Jimmy Paredes knocked in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. That Paerdes sacrifice fly was an extra base hit if anyone other than Juan Lagares was manning center field. Lagares once again reminded everyone that he is the best fielding center fielder in baseball, and that if he can at least manage one at-bat per game, he needs to be on the postseason roster.
The Phillies then added a run in the eighth off Jim Henderson to make the game 5-2. That would be the final score of a game where both teams reached their primary objective. The Phillies were able to provide a fitting send-off for Ryan Howard removing him from the game in the eighth so he could leave to a standing ovation. The Mets just got through the game without suffering any injuries, and also got much needed reps for Duda and Lagares.
The Mets weren’t able to get that final win to erase the angst of the past when 88 wins just wasn’t good enough for the postseason. Ironically, 87 was good enough this year. With those 87 wins, the Mets put the capper on a mostly frustrating season. However, in the end, they were able to go to make consecutive postseason appearances for only the second time in their history. When viewed through that prism, this was a successful and enjoyable season.