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 IBWAA Hoyt Wilhelm Award is for the best relief pitcher in the National League. While the National League has had a number of good relievers this past season, there have been three clear standouts over the course of the season that deserves this award:
1st – Addison Reed
Given how Terry Collins has ridden his two best bullpen guys all season, this was a toss up between the two of them. Looking at the numbers, Reed just had a better season.
Time and again, Collins has leaned on Reed in the high leverage eighth inning of games to preserve the Mets lead. For a vast majority of the time, Reed has done that in impressive fashion. In 80 appearances, Reed is 4-2 with a 1.97 ERA, a 0.940 WHIP, a 10.5 K/9, 209 ERA+, and a 1.98 FIP. Those 78 appearances are the third most in the majors (and National League). His 1.97 ERA is fifth among National League relievers with at least 60 innings pitched. His 2.9 WAR is the highest among relievers. His WHIP ranks fifth among relievers. By the way, Reed has made more appearances than the pitchers that are ahead of him in those categories.
This all speaks to how exceptional Reed has been in his role as the Mets eighth inning guy. In fact, Reed’s 40 holds this season is the most in the majors. In fact, it is 10 more than Kyle Barraclough who is in second place. Reed is a huge reason why the Mets are close to unbeatable when they have the lead after seven innings. In terms of a bullpen role, no one has done their job better than Reed, which is why he should be the Hoyt Wilhelm Award Winner.
2nd – Jeurys Familia
For the second straight season, Familia has been the most used, most durable, and best closer in the National League.
In 2016, Familia made more appearances, more innings pitched, and more saves than any other closer in all of baseball. His 51 saves this season surpassed Francisco Cordero and Jose Valverde for the most saves in a single season by a Dominican born pitcher. He has obliterated the Mets single season save record he once shared with Armando Benitez. Keep in mind, a large part of his breaking the save records was because Familia kept the ball in the ballpark. Over the course of the entire 2016 season, Familia has only allowed one home run.
Familia was also at his best when the Mets needed him to be at his best. With the team needing each and every win possible in August and September, Familia was as dominant as he has ever been. In that two month stretch, Familia made 27 appearances recording 14 saves with a 1.62 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP, and a 10.6 K/9 while limiting batters to a .186 batting average.
Overall, for the season, Familia was 3-4 with 51 saves, a 2.55 ERA, 1.210 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 161 ERA+, and a 2.39 FIP. When you put up these numbers while your manager keeps throwing you into games without giving you much time off to rest, you have been the best closer in your league. .
3rd – Seung-hwan Oh
Choosing the third reliever for this vote was a difficult task. Both Mark Melancon and Kenley Jansen, who both had outstanding years again as closers for postseason teams. However, the nod here went to The Final Boss for a number of reasons.
First, Oh made the second more appearances than Melancon and Jansen. His 2.8 WAR was also the second highest WAR posted by any relief pitcher in the National League. He also helped saved a Cardinals bullpen and season by first being a dominant set-up man, and then being a dominant closer once Trevor Rosenthal went down with injury. As a closer, Oh was 4-3 with 19 saves, a 2.27 ERA, 0.958 WHIP, and an 11.3 K/9. For the season Oh made 76 appearances going 6-3 with 19 saves, a 1.92 ERA, 0.916 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 214 ERA+, and a 2.13 FIP.
With that, Oh was about as dominant a relief pitcher as there was in the National League. With him mastering multiple roles, and his stepping up to fill a huge void for a Cardinals team in the thick of the Wild Card race, he deserves the last spot on the ballot.
This was a fun year in the American League where we saw the managers who were presumed to be among the best in the sport get the most out of their team’s talent and put their team in position to go to the postseason. When you’re picking between the best managers in the sport, and they all did tremendous jobs, you are really picking nits in ranking them. With that said here’s my nit picking ballot:
1st – Buck Showalter
Could you possibly imagine where this Orioles team would be right now if they had just a league average starting staff? It’s incredible to think about how far the Orioles have gone when Chris Tillman and his career 4.13 ERA and 1.310 WHIP is far and away your team’s ace. The question is how did the Orioles do it?
For starters (pun intended), Showalter uses his bullpen masterfully, probably better than anyone else in the sport. When you have no starting pitcher who averages six innings a game, you are going to have to be masterful if you are going to give your team any chance to win a game. Showalter not only was able to put his relievers in the right position to get outs, he was also able to keep most of them healthy over the course of a full season. And yes, it certainly helped that Zach Britton had one of the great seasons a closer has ever had. Still, he’s just one guy that pitches one inning for a bullpen that routinely had to pitch over three innings a game.
Showalter also got the most out of his flawed power bats. Mark Trumbo was signed to be the right fielder, and he hit 46 homers. Pedro Alvarez was the primary DH. With Showalter shielding him from left-handed pitching for most of the year, Alvarez would hit 22 homers.
It also helps that Showalter has two of the best young players in the game in Adam Jones and Manny Machado. Even in what has been Jones’ “worst” season, he still hit 28 homers. Machado had an underappreciated year where he was not only his usual MVP level, Gold Glove caliber third baseman, he also had to handle going to shortstop when J.J. Hardy went down for an extended time due to injury. Couple that with Showalter navigating the issue of Hyun Soo Kim arguably not being ready to start the season, refusing a demotion to the minors, Showalter handled the situation well. He not only eased Kim into the season, but he also got a tremendous season out of him.
Arguably, Showalters is the best manager in the game, and he proved it once again this season. For that, he is my selection for AL Manager of the Year.
2nd – Jeff Bannister
When a team has a +8 run differential, the team is expected to go 82-80. The Texas Rangers would go 95-67 while running away with the AL West. A big part of the reason why is Bannister who, in his second year as a manager, has established himself as one of the best managers in the game.
Bannister had a lot on his plate this season, including but not limited to the run differential. He was helping Ian Desmond convert from a shortstop to an All Star center fielder. He had Rougned Odor, who has shown himself to be an incredibly gifted player, but also as we saw with him punching Jose Bautista, he can be a hot head. There was the demise and sudden retirement of Prince Fielder. There were tough waters to navigate surrounding Yu Darvish, who was returning from Tommy John surgery, and his brother being convicted in Japan for illegal gambling. The Rangers also entered the season without a good catching or first base option. High priced outfielder Shin-Soo Choo would miss most of the year with injuries leaving the team without a good left fielding option either.
The reason this all worked was the Rangers had a good starting rotation led by Cole Hamels and a no-name very underrated bullpen that included the reclamation project of all reclamation projects in Matt Bush, and first time closer, Sam Dyson, who had a breakout season. There were also great seasons by Mostly, this worked because Bannister is a great manager that put his players in the best spots to succeed.
Because this team had more pitching, especially starting pitching, Bannister is barely ranked below Showalter.
3rd – Terry Francona
Heading into the 2016 season, the Indians were largely constructed like the 2015 Mets. They were a team built on young pitching with a highly questionable offense. In order for it all to work, the team would need its manager to do a great job. Francona did.
Again, the one thing everyone knew the Indians had to start the season was starting pitching, and boy did they pitch. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar each had an ERA+ of 122 or better. Fact is, when Trevor Bauer is your fourth best starting pitcher, you know your starting staff is loaded. Ultimately, it was this staff that separated Showalter and Francona in my mind in terms of casting the vote for Manager of the Year. Still, that does not mean Francona had an easy job this season.
He lost his starting catcher Yan Gomes for the season before the All Star Break. He lost his best outfielder Michael Brantley, in the beginning of May. He had an offense that was too reliant on the rejuvenation of Mike Napoli (he hi (he would be released t 34 homers) and Juan Uribe (released on August 5th). The team also desperately needed Carlos Santana‘s power to return (it did). Couple that with a middle infield of Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez showing he can offensively handle a corner infield spot, and some smoke and mirror, the Indians generated a sufficient amount of offense to match their starting pitching. Francona goes a long way in much of this happening and that is why he deserves Manager of the Year consideration.
As he frankly had smoother sailing than Showalter and Bannister during the regular season, he gets ranked just below the other two. Frankly, if you came up with a different permutation of these three managers, no one could definitively say you were wrong.
This was a strange year in the National League Manager of the Year race. All the teams that were supposed to be contenders were actually contenders despite most of those teams suffering brutal injuries.
That Nationals lost Stephen Strasburg for a good part of the year and will likely not have him in the postseason. The Mets lost Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, David Wright, and Lucas Duda for a good portion of the season. At one point, the Dodgers entire starting projected rotation was on the disabled list with the most crushing blow being a Clayton Kershaw trip to the disabled list. The Cardinals have had their shortstops, Jhonny Peralta and Aledmys Diaz, on the disabled list with injuries, and they lost their closer Trevor Rosenthal. Even the Cubs suffered a huge injury with Kyle Schwarber going down with a torn ACL. With these teams overcoming those injuries, it could be quite difficult to determine who was actually the best manager in the National League this season. Taking all that into consideration, here is my ballot:
1st Place – Dave Roberts
A large part of his award goes to Roberts because of what he did despite his team being the most injured team in all of baseball. By the first week of the season, he lost two members of his starting rotation with Brett Anderson and Hyun-Jin Ryu. He would also lose important bullpen arms in Carlos Frias, Yimi Garcia, and Chris Hatcher for the year. He’d also deal with the most dramatic injury of all when Kershaw went down with a back injury.
When Kershaw made his last start before heading to the disabled list, the Dodgers were 41-36, eight games behind the Giants in the West and a game behind the Marlins for the second Wild Card. From that point forward, the Dodgers have the second best record in baseball. They have won the NL West for the second year in a row, and they seem poised to make a deep run in the postseason.
That’s not the only reason why Roberts is the Manager of the Year. He’s also capably handled a number of tricky situations that would have the potential to flummox other managers and potentially poison some clubhouses. He had to get Howie Kendrick to accept being a utility player and eventually an outfielder. He had to get one last great season out of Chase Utley. He would pull rookie Ross Stripling while he had a no-hitter going because it was the best thing for the young player’s career and the Dodgers’ future.
Clearly, Roberts has been unafraid to make the tough decisions. He had control of the clubhouse. He avoided near disaster, and he led his team from eight games back to win the NL West. That’s Manager of the Year material.
2nd – Joe Maddon
In reality, any other year this award would go to Maddon. Maddon has established himself as the best manager in the game.
Maddon was handed a roster that was easily a World Series favorite, and he delivered during the regular season. Not only did he get another great season from Jake Arrieta, but he also got better years from Jon Lester and John Lackey. By the way, somehow he got a Cy Young caliber season out of Kyle Hendricks.
We also saw Maddon play mad scientist like he loves to do. When Schwarber went down, Maddon took his budding superstar Kris Bryant and turned him into a Ben Zobrist type of player. It probably helped Bryant that he had the actual Zobrist on the team to give him some pointers. Additionally, never one to stay at the status quo, Maddon experimented using multiple relievers on the field.
On June 28th, Maddon would actually play Spencer Patton and Travis Wood in the outfield in a 15 inning game against the Reds. It actually worked out well for the Cubs. Patton started the 14th inning on the mound and Wood in left field. When Jay Bruce came up to bat, Maddon would switch them around to get Bruce out. After the Bruce at bat, Maddon switched them back so Patton could get Adam Duvall out. This was reminiscent of the 1986 game where Davey Johnson was forced to shift Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell between left field and the pitcher’s mound due to a Ray Knight ejection leaving the Mets without another position player. However, Maddon wasn’t forced into the decision. There wasn’t an injury or an ejection. Rather, Maddon did it because he simply believed it gave the Cubs the best chance to win the game.
That is the type of progressive thinking that has made Maddon the best manager in the game, and it has helped the Cubs to a 100 win season with the best record in baseball. If not for the terrific season Roberts had, Maddon would have won this quite easily.
3rd – Dusty Baker
Last year, the Nationals were done in by a toxic clubhouse and a terrible manager in Matt Williams. In the offseason, the Nationals did what they had to do in firing Williams, and then they had to settle on Baker as their manager.
Baker has always been a curious case. He has never been a favorite of the Sabermetrically inclined. He makes curious in-game decisions (hello Russ Ortiz), and he has a tendency to over rely on veterans over young players that are probably better and can do more to help the team win. Despite all of that, Baker has won wherever he has gone. He has brought the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and now the Nationals to the postseason. The reason is Baker is a manager that gets the most out of his players.
It wasn’t easy for him this year. Bryce Harper had a down year, Jonathan Papelbon wouldn’t last the season as either the closer or as a National, and Ben Revere would show he was not capable of being the center fielder for a good team. Worse yet, Strasburg went down with injury despite Baker actually being someone careful with his young pitcher. So how’d he do it. Well, he got career years from Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos. In a sign of growth, Baker trusted a young player in Trea Turner to not only play everyday, but also to play out of position. Mostly, Baker was Baker.
Overall, it is clear that Baker has some innate ability to get his teams to play well. He did that again this year in turning around a Nationals team that fell apart last year to a team that comfortably won the NL East.
Honorable Mention – Terry Collins
By no means did Collins have a strong year this year. You can point to the injuries, but he did do a lot to exacerbate them by playing players who he knew was injured. He had a year where he messed around with Michael Conforto‘s development and threatened the career of Jim Henderson by abusing his surgically repaired shoulder for a “must-win” game in April. Furthermore, he flat out abused the arms of Hansel Robles, Addison Reed, and Jeurys Familia. So no, Collins is not deserving of the award.
However, he is deserving of an honorable mention with the class and dignity he comported himself in the aftermath of Jose Fernandez‘s death. He made sure his team was there to console the Marlins, and he prepared his team to win games when some of his own players were devastated by Fernandez’s death. This was one of the many acts of kindness Collins has shown as the Mets manager, and it should be highlighted.
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.
On this episode of the Amazing Metscast, I discuss Jose Fernandez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jay Bruce, Noah Syndergaard and more.
You can listen by clicking here.
Happy Wild Card Clinching Day!