Kodai Senga resumes throwing, DJ Stewart is on the roster
Meanwhile, Mets Opening Day is delayed by a day due to heavy rain in Thursday's forecast
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets will have to wait one more day to kick off their 2024 campaign, as heavy rain postponed Thursday’s opening day
D.J. Stewart was officially notified that he made the Mets opening day roster (SNY)
The club has not yet announced if the last man in the bullpen will be Sean Reid-Foley or Yohan Ramirez (NY Daily News)
Carlos Mendoza said JD Martínez will remain in Florida for a week while he compiles a lot of at-bats in extended spring training
Kodai Senga has resumed throwing at Citi Field on Wednesday (SNY)
Listen to Episode 1 of Just Mets: The Podcast as Michael and Andrew give you a rundown of the Mets, their camp, Pete Alonso and perhaps a little Juan Soto!
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Let’s talk about the bullpen… ✍️
With the Mets opening day contest against the Brewers getting pushed back one more day, it gives us yet another opportunity to talk and speculate about the club’s roster heading into the season.
I feel like we’ve all talked ad nauseum about how the Mets offense should score enough runs to win, while the starting rotation will likely be the team’s weakest link.
But oftentimes a rotation does not need to be great—it just needs to be good enough.
That can work as long as the team’s bullpen is not just dominant, but also comprised with the right pieces. An organization’s pitching staff—particularly in this day and age—must have work together and cohesively for a team to enjoy success.
Obviously it all begins with the starters and their ability to get deep into games. That was a catastrophic problem for this team a season ago, and the Mets will have difficulty winning if they again struggle in that department.
Having said that, I do think the team enters 2024 better prepared for that scenario than they had been. More on that in a bit.
New York’s bullpen will be anchored by superstar closer Edwin Díaz, whose return after missing all of 2023 has Mets fans bursting with excitement.
In 2022, Diaz was absolutely magnificent, dominating to the tune of a 1.31 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP. He held opponents to a miniscule .160 batting average against, punched out 118 hitters in 62 innings, and converted 32 of his 35 save opportunities. Having him back in the 9th inning helps the Mets shorten games, and is a luxury most teams simply do not have.
That season, Adam Ottavino was his primary set-up man, and the veteran enjoyed arguably the best year of his career in that role. Ottavino was forced into a larger role in Diaz’s absence a year ago, and while he converted a career high 12 saves, he was generally up and down, working to a 3.21 ERA in 66 appearances. In 2024 he’ll be back in his more customary role which should be a boon for both he and the team.
Lefty Brooks Raley will be the Mets top southpaw after pitching very well in his first season in Queens, and he’ll undoubtedly be called upon often. In 66 outings last year, Raley delivered a 2.80 ERA with a .217 batting average against, while striking out well over a batter/inning and equaling his career high with 25 holds.
The Mets should rightfully feel good about their chances if they can get a lead to the Raley-Ottavino-Diaz combination, but the overall success of this bullpen will be determined in its middle.
Righty Drew Smith has enjoyed plenty of positive moments during his five seasons in Flushing, but he’s also dealt with his fair share of struggles. It feels like the Mets have perpetually been waiting for Smith to develop into a late inning power arm, something that has simply not happened to date. He owns a lifetime 3.53 ERA in 172 career games with exactly a strikeout/inning, but too often home runs and walks have been issues. Should Smith put it all together in 2024 the Mets ceiling would be dramatically raised.
I thought the Mets addition of free agent lefty Jake Diekman was somewhat underrated, as I genuinely feel the veteran will change the complexion of this pitching staff as a whole. The 37-year-old has been a steady and reliable middle reliever for more than a decade, and his presence will allow the Mets to save Raley for high leverage situations against left handed hitters later in the game.
A wild card on this pitching staff is righty Jorge Lopez, who pitched to a 2.54 ERA and saved 23 games in 2022 en route to an all-star game appearance. His 2023 campaign went dramatically differently, as he bounced between three teams and struggled to a cumulative 5.95 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP in 61 contests. The Mets are betting on the upside here, and hoping a clean slate with a new team leads to a resurgence.
Rounding out the Mets bullpen are a pair of arms I anticipate will be used interchangeably in the event a starter does not give the club length. Both Michael Tonkin and Sean Reid-Foley are proven multi-inning relievers, a skill that has become immensely important. Having one guy that can come in early and save the rest of the bullpen is a true luxury, and New York is happy to have two.
Tonkin pitched for Atlanta last season, winning seven games in relief and delivering a 4.28 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. Most importantly, he threw 80 innings in just 45 appearances, which gives you a glimpse into the kind of role he could play with the 2024 Mets.
As for Reid-Foley, injuries have consistently gotten in the way for him, but his potential cannot be questioned. In a miniscule 7.2 inning sample size a year ago, the righty struck out 16 hitters and did not allow a home run. He has a plethora of starting experience in his professional career, and has historically been a dependable long man in the bullpen when the situation has called for it.
All in all, while the results remain to be seen, on paper it’s easy to talk yourself into being excited about the potential of the Mets bullpen. And if the unit proves itself to be a legitimate strength for this team, it would go a long way towards mitigating a somewhat shaky rotation.
Around The League 🚩
The Nationals have released first baseman Lewin Diaz (MLBTradeRumors)
The Yankees have acquired Jon Berti in a three way trade with the Marlins and Rays (YES)
MLB’s owners unanimously approved the sale of the Orioles to a group headed by David Rubenstein (Feinsand)
The Reds announced that infielder Matt McLain underwent shoulder surgery and could miss the entire 2024 season (Reds)
Great trade for the Yankees which helps out the Mets a lot. Berti was a pain in the neck to the Mets and good to see him in the American League