Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner made an appearance with Gary Apple on Mets Hot Stove last night on SNY.
During the brief interview, Hefner discussed a variety of different topics including the resurgence of Edwin Diaz in 2020, recently acquired reliever Trevor May, and provided an update on Noah Syndergaard. Here are some of the key takeaways from that interview.
On What Trevor May Brings to the Mets
The Mets waisted no time this offseason providing Hefner and the Mets bullpen some much needed help. Sandy Alderson and company brought in a familiar face for Hefner in former Minnesota Twins reliever Trevor May.
May and Hefner worked extremely well together, and in his introductory presser May cited the pitching coach as one of the reasons he signed in New York. Speaking for the first time since the signing, Hefner spoke a bit of what makes May so special.
“Trevor is highly intellectual and he’s a physical presence as well, he’s a big man. He thinks through the inning long before he’s ever out there. He puts himself in the situation, so he’s taking the mental reps needed to go out and pitch in high leverage situations,” Hefner said.
May figures to form a very strong trio with Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo at the backend of the Mets bullpen. And the thing that Hefner praised the most was the versatility the right-hander brings to the table for this group.
“He can come in and he can close a ballgame down. He can come in the sixth inning, second and third one out, and get out of a jam, or anywhere in between. The versatility that Trevor creates for our club is something that’s why he was so sought after. I’m sure multiple teams were after him. I’m glad that we got him, he certainly helps our club,” he added.
On What Edwin Diaz Improved Upon in 2020
Speaking of the Edwin Diaz, Hefner was also asked about his closer’s resurgence during the 2020 season. Diaz blew a save on the second day of the season, but was absolutely lights out from that point on. Hefner credited pitch location for this massive turnaround.
“Sugar was able to locate his slider a lot better. That pitch in 2019 frequently found the heart of the plate, and we were able to make some mechanical adjustments, and he was able to locate that pitch a lot better. Even in certain counts, wether it be 2-0 or 2-1 in a traditional fastball count, he was able to really dot that slider down and away. That helped him maybe mediate some of the damage that occurred in 2019,” he said.
This version of Edwin Diaz showing up next season could go a very long way for the Mets bullpen. Their dominant closer returning to his lights-out form would give the Mets one less problem to worry about.
On What He Loves About Marcus Stroman/His Potential
Hefner is certainly excited to get a healthy Marcus Stroman back in the Mets’ starting rotation. Stroman suffered a torn calf muscle during summer camp, and then elected to opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns over COVID-19. Hefner has praised Stroman and his potential in the past, and he reiterated those sentiments last night.
“Stro’s an artist. That’s what I love about him. He’s able to do a lot of different things. He’s able to manipulate his body in certain positions to create different pitch types and movements on the ball, and he’s got three or four different sliders and he’s got the sinker going, the change. I mean, he’s got the whole bag. He can match up against any hitter in Major League Baseball and have success. I said it earlier in the summer, he could be a Cy Young winner, and I still believe that. Stro has the ability to go out and take over a game and entertain us all at the same time.”
You know Stroman is dialed up and ready to go heading into next season. The Long Island native chimed in on Twitter on Wednesday night saying he can’t wait to work with the second year pitching coach. I for one can’t wait to see what the StroShow has in store for his encore in New York.
On Noah Syndergaard’s Rehab
And speaking of the Mets’ rotation, let’s not forget about Noah Syndergaard.
Syndergaard is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and has begun to ramp up his baseball activity. Hefner said he has seen video of Syndergaard and spoke with him on the phone, and the big right-hander is “doing good.”
“He’s throwing, playing catch, throwing some changeups, he looks great. I’ve seen video of him and talked to him on the phone, he’s doing great, he’s right on track where he should be,” Hefner said.
Syndergaard still figures to miss at least the beginning of the 2021 season, but the fact that everything is going smoothly in his rehab is certainly a good sing for the Mets. A healthy Noah Syndergaard would certainly provide a significant boost to the Mets’ rotation.
