2017 Mets First Half Awards: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Most Valuable Player – Jay Bruce

You can go with anyone between Jay Bruce, Michael Conforto or Jacob deGrom, but for me Bruce gets the edge. He talked a big game in spring training and even called out fans as know-nothings that were clueless as to his ability to succeed in New York. Then he burst out of the gate in April with seven home runs and 19 RBIs to shut everybody up, and continued raking ever since. He ends the first half leading the team with 18 doubles, 23 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .945 OPS. Honorable Mention: Michael Conforto

Least Valuable Player – Jose Reyes

It’s hard to imagine any MLB manager giving the second most plate appearances on the team to a player who was ranked the third worst in baseball. But that’s exactly what the Mets did, and it’s no wonder why they’re in 4th place and 12 games behind the Nationals. That 71 OPS+ by Jose Reyes is the worst among all third basemen, and second worst among all shortstops. Did I mention he has a -3.3 UZR at third and a -1.6 UZR at short? I don’t care that he’s getting paid chump change by the Mets, he’s been killing the team since day one of this season. Honorable Mention: Travis d’Arnaud

Most Valuable Pitcher – Jacob deGrom

No surprise here. Jacob deGrom has had to carry the load after injuries to Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz, and has battled his way to a 9-3 record with a 3.65 ERA and 1.216 WHIP. His 10.5 K/9 rate is a career high. In his last five starts – all wins – deGrom has a 1.61 ERA and a .170 Batting Average Against. Watching deGrom taking the mound every five or six days has been one of the few highlights of the season. Nobody in the Mets rotation performs their craft better than deGrom and I doubt very much that he’s going anywhere. Honorable Mention: Addison Reed

Least Valuable Pitcher – Matt Harvey

What a fall it has been for Matt Harvey. The one-time phenom became an instant celebrity when he debuted in 2012 and by the following season he was an All-Star and each of his starts became a must-see event and the hottest ticket in the city. Tommy John surgery knocked the wind out of his career, and despite a strong return in 2015, it’s been all downhill ever since culminating Thoracic Outlet Surgery in 2016 and a disheartening performance this season before landing on the DL with a shoulder injury. Honorable Mention: Robert Gsellman

Rookie of the Year – T.J. Rivera

After years of having his success knocked by many (Not me!) for being too old for his level, T.J. Rivera finally broke into the majors in 2016 and batted .333/.345/.476 in 113 plate appearances. The offseason was ripe with small sample size knocks, so Rivera finally shut his detractors up once and for all. While playing three different infield positions and filling in at left field, Rivera has continued his steady hitting, posting a first half batting line of .299/.340/.443 and wielding a .834 OPS versus RHP. Since receiving extended playing time on June 15, he’s batting .361 (26-for-72). Honorable Mention: Can I say Amed Rosario?

Comeback Player – Michael Conforto

Last season, Michael Conforto was demoted to Triple-A after a prolonged slump, and a year later he’s named to the 2017 National League All-Star team as the lone Mets representative. At 24, Conforto ranks seventh in the majors with a .405 on-base percentage and 10th with a .953 OPS. He has a team-leading 147 OPS+with 14 doubles, 14 homers and 41 RBIs – one less than he had the entire 2017 season.