3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Finish 2021 Season With Series Loss in Atlanta

The 2021 New York Mets season came to a close on Sunday afternoon with a 5-0 shutout loss to the Braves, closing the pages on one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory. With neither team having anything of substance to play for in this series, the game results didn’t really mean much. Even so, the Mets still managed to lose another series, part of a second-half collapse from first place. Now that the regular season has concluded, the Mets enter an offseason that is poised to include tons of shakeup in both the front office, in the dugout, and on the field.

Before offseason content really starts to get rolling, let’s take a look back at the Mets’ final series and try to find some positives in yet another lost weekend.

3 Up

Brandon Nimmo’s Two-Homer Game

Never much of a power hitter, Brandon Nimmo saved one of his best games of the season for one of the last games of the schedule. In Friday’s 4-3 win over the Braves, Nimmo blasted two solo homers to right field, his seventh and eighth long balls of the year. Coincidentally, Nimmo has hit exactly eight home runs in each of the past three seasons, and that’s even including the shortened 2020 season. He ended 2021 with a 132 OPS+, the third highest in his career over a single season.

Michael Conforto’s Successful Final Series

In what may end up being his final two games played in a Met uniform, Michael Conforto ended 2021 on a high note. Over the season’s final two games in Atlanta, Conforto went 3-for-7 with a home run, two RBI, and a walk. Despite finishing this season with his lowest batting average (.232) since 2016, there seems to be mixed feelings within the fanbase as to whether or not to re-sign the power-hitting lefty. But if Conforto moves on to another organization, then he ended his Mets tenure in style, singling to left field in the seventh inning on Sunday, his final plate appearance of the game.

Tylor Megill Allows No Runs in Final Start

After a rough August and September that saw him post a 6.75 ERA, Tylor Megill found the dominance he displayed in July for one final masterpiece in his last start of 2021. In five shutout innings on Friday, Megill allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters. It was the first time he had allowed no runs in a start since July 23, and just the third time all season he gave up zero runs in a game. As he enters his second season with the Mets, Megill’s exact role with the team remains uncertain, although a spot at the backend of the rotation is a possibility after a mostly encouraging rookie campaign.

3 Down

Noah Syndergaard Struggles in Second Start of Season

Pitching as an “opener” for the second and last time this season, Noah Syndergaard fared significantly worse than he did in his first outing last week, when he pitched a scoreless first inning. This time around versus the Braves, Thor allowed a leadoff home run, along with a double and an RBI single. While he was working with a limited pitch arsenal and was never going to pitch more than an inning anyway, it was discouraging to see Noah end the year with a rough outing after such a great start against the Marlins. Nonetheless, the positive here is that Syndergaard finally was back on the mound after two years away from the Mets’ rotation. Getting back on a major league mound after Tommy John surgery is enough progress to be optimistic about his 2022 outlook.

Offense Struggles All Around in Sunday’s Loss

Given that the Mets’ inability to produce at the plate was one of their main downfalls this season, it’s fitting that their final loss of 2021 saw them put together one of their worst offensive games of the entire year. Scoring no runs and managing just three hits, the lineup looked lifeless and never stood a chance in Game 162. Conforto, Jonathan Villar, and Jose Peraza each collected a single, while Pete Alonso walked for the team’s only other baserunner of the game. This game, meaningless in the standings, was a microcosm of the Mets’ lineup struggles all year long. Re-signing Javier Báez and Conforto are just some of the major decisions New York will have to make this winter as they set out to improve an offense that scored 636 runs this season, fourth-fewest in the major leagues.

Carlos Carrasco Has Disappointing End to Season

Acquired from Cleveland in the Francisco Lindor trade, Carlos Carrasco had a tough first season with the Mets, and it ended in similar fashion on Saturday. Carrasco allowed five runs across five innings, giving up seven hits for his third consecutive loss. He also allowed multiple home runs for the third time, which isn’t ideal considering he pitched an abbreviated 53 2/3 innings in 2021. It was Carrasco’s second consecutive start allowing five runs, bringing an end to a season in which he posted a 6.04 ERA.