Lots of times, having success on the baseball diamond requires a player to block out all the outside noise around them. Kind of like how Billy Chapel “cleared the mechanism” in For the Love of the Game. The same thing holds true for baseball writers, too.

The New York Mets reportedly acquiring Marcus Stroman was the last notification I expected to see Sunday evening. Even considering the circumstances — you know, how the Mets are 50-55, and even with a 10-5 record since the All-Star break, they’re still six games back of the final National League wild-card spot — this news got me excited. It hurt a little when finding out more top prospects (Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson) were being taken from New York’s farm system to facilitate such a deal, though, even if it wasn’t considered a huge price to pay.

And, of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean a certain incumbent Mets starter — *cough* Noah Syndergaard *cough* — is out of the woods yet with regard to the trade rumors swirling around him. If Brodie Van Wagenen deals Thor, which appears to be next on his to-do list, then this gets more confusing.

The smoke still needs to settle before judging the entire strategy (even if it’s seemed more confusing than anything else). But if I’m strictly looking at what Stroman the pitcher can give New York through the end of next season, he’s just the kind of player this organization needs.

Yes, his on-field results have typically been good throughout his career, and especially in 2019. Through 124.2 innings, he’s posted a 2.96 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with a 19.3% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate. This performance has yielded 2.9 fWAR while pitching in the American League East, and includes a 56.3% ground-ball rate that’s among the best in baseball when looking at qualified starters.

That’s all helpful, and without it, a deal wouldn’t have gotten done. I’m not thinking about that as much, though. What I’m looking forward to seeing in the Mets clubhouse is the swag Stroman brings every day. He’s simply made for New York and the big media market. It’s almost like he’s from there, which he is. His final start with the Toronto Blue Jays came on July 24 against the Cleveland Indians. His performance included seven innings of one-run ball while giving up five hits, one walk, and striking out six (he got the loss, so he’s clearly ready for the Mets). Afterwards, this is what he said when asked about his immediate future:

That’s just…awesome.

Even with all the turnover the Mets’ roster received this past winter, it didn’t seem like there was a ton of confidence to this level. The most swagger I remember hearing over the last few months was BVW’s “come and get us” comment before the year even started. While it’s nice to hear a team’s general manager be that confident, it’s a little different coming from an actual player who dons the uniform and takes the field every (fifth) day.

During Saturday night’s telecast, Keith Hernandez mentioned how much of a lift if was to his Mets teams when Doc Gooden took the mound. It was almost as if they expected to win, regardless of the situation. That’s the kind of feeling the current Mets team should have upon taking the field when Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom are scheduled to pitch, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way.

Stroman’s personality brings a certain kind of sizzle to the Mets that’s been lacking in 2019. Will it help them get into the playoff hunt instead of lurking on the outskirts this season? Will it help them be a contender next season? That all remains to be seen. Either way, this is the kind of energy the organization needs to have injected into the clubhouse right now. If there’s a way to wake up those 25 guys and show them that if things aren’t working, things will change, it’s this.

Throughout all the trade rumors leading up to the eventual deal, Stroman has been chomping at the bit for something to go down. He’s ready for the spotlight, and he’s probably going to enjoy every second. If there’s one thing we now about the right-hander, it’s that he totally embraces who he is, both on and off the field. The Mets could use that kind of edginess. Hopefully, it’ll be infectious.

And if New York is looking for a little inspiration as they try to continue climbing out of the hole they’ve dug themselves into, Mickey Callaway and company can at least look at the 2016 squad, which looked dead in the water on August 20. While the Mets were just 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot, they didn’t look like a playoff squad with a 61-62 record. They proceeded to go 26-13 down the stretch to finish 87-75 and participate in the postseason for a second straight year.

They’ll need a similar kind of run to have any hope in 2019. Before anything can happen, though, the guys in that clubhouse not only need to believe it, but walk in that belief on a daily basis. The way Stroman handles his business will help reframe their collective mindset in the way that’s necessary to make something like this come to pass.