The Mets signed Justin Wilson to a two-year, $10 million contract in the offseason with the hope that he would help stabilize a bullpen that had struggled the prior season. Well, after dealing with left elbow soreness in the first half of the season, Wilson has become just that for the Mets in 2019.
In 34 appearances this season, Wilson has a 2.15 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and 1.295 WHIP with 9.5 K/9 as compared to 3.7 BB/9.
Since returning from the 10-day IL on July 2, Wilson has allowed only two runs, 17 hits, and eight walks in 20 innings of work. He has also struck out 22 batters.
Wilson has been especially good since August 11 (eight appearances) in which he has not allowed any runs while only allowing five hits and two walks as compared to nine strikeouts.
The 32-year-old also has provided the Mets with different types of lefties. One of them is Luis Avilan, who is mostly used as a true lefty-specialist, but still has the ability to get right-handers out.
Meanwhile, Wilson is the other and he handles lefties and righties pretty much equally with a 1.93 ERA against lefties as compared to a 2.25 ERA against right-handers.
His strong production has helped lead what was once a dreadful bullpen to now being the third-best in the National League during the month of August, with a 4.08 ERA according to FanGraphs.
Wilson’s strong stretch in the second half along with the pretty much always good Seth Lugo and the Phil Regan revamped Edwin Diaz could very well be changing the game for the Mets.
After fearing the idea of going to the bullpen for the entirety of the first half, they now have those three options as well as Avilan, Jeurys Familia, and even Paul Sewald as pieces who have been reliable of late for the team.
On top of it, Brad Brach is also in the bullpen and while he hasn’t been great, he’s shown flashes of his old self in games such as on Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs when he struck out two batters over two shutout innings.
Instead of fearing the bullpen, the team might actually start to rely on it.
