With the first World Series game between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks set to get underway, let’s take a look at the former Mets who will be playing for either team
Arizona Diamondbacks
Miguel Castro found his way to the Mets via an August 31, 2020, trade. Castro would go on to pitch the 2020 and 2021 seasons for the Mets, notching a 3.52 ERA with 91 strikeouts to 51 walks. Castro was effective, but his inability to control the ball led the Mets to trade him to the Yankees for the 2022 season for lefty Joely Rodriguez. Castro would pitch one season for the Yankees, pitching to a 4.03 ERA. Castro was then signed by the Diamondbacks for the 2023 season and pitched to a 4.31 ERA across 64 2/3 innings, striking out 60 while walking 25 batters.
Castro has pitched in two games this postseason, pitching to a 5.40 ERA over five innings, striking out and walking four batters each.
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The Mets drafted the reliever in the tenth round of the 2012 MLB draft out of the University of San Diego. Drafted exclusively as a reliever, Sewald worked his way through the Mets minor league system, finally arriving on April 8, 2017.
Sewald would go on to pitch for the Mets every season from 2017-2020, pitching to a 5.50 ERA across 147 1/3 innings pitched, striking out 151 batters while walking 51 batters. In December of 2020, Sewald was non-tendered by the Mets. He would sign with the Seattle Mariners in 2021 and immediately become a good reliever, posting way better numbers across the board, pitching to a 2.88 ERA while he was with the Mariners, and even closing for them.
A 2023 deadline trade would send him to Arizona, where he has continued his high-quality relief, pitching to a 3.57 ERA over the course of the season. Sewald has been even better in the playoffs this season, pitching eight scoreless innings while striking out 11, walking one, and allowing three hits.
Tommy Pham was signed by the Mets in January of this year, expecting to be their fourth outfielder. What happened was Pham was one of the few bright spots on the 2023 Mets, pushed into regular playing time due to both injuries and his great play. Pham posted a .268/.348/.472 slash line, with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases. Pham was traded to Arizona for 17-year-old prospect Jeremy Rodriguez, who finished the season with a 1.247 OPS in 13 games for the DSL Mets.
Upon arriving in Arizona, Pham saw his power and batting average slightly dip to .241/.304/.415, but he still managed to hit six home runs and steal another 11 bases, bringing his combined total on the season to 16 home runs, and 22 stolen bases for a .256/.328/.446 final slash.
Pham has struggled this postseason with a .590 OPS and has more strikeouts (14) than hits (9).
Texas Rangers
Jacob deGrom was selected by the Mets in the ninth round of the 2010 draft. After being drafted, deGrom ascended through the Mets minor league system at an average pace, having some success but never being considered a top prospect at any level. Once he was called up to the Mets in 2014 – he made his mark and proved he would be one of the best pitchers in baseball for the next nine seasons for the Mets.
DeGrom tallied a 2.52 career ERA with the Mets, striking out 1607 batters over 1356 innings, winning the 2014 Rookie Of The Year award and consecutive Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019. However, injuries would alter his career from 2020 on, never seeing deGrom eclipse 92 innings in any season after that.
After the 2022 season, deGrom signed a five-year, 185 million-dollar deal with the Texas Rangers. When he pitched for the Rangers – deGrom was still lights out, pitching to a 2.67 ERA and striking out 45 batters in 30 1/3 innings, only walking four. After a few small injury scares, it was announced on June 6 that he would undergo Tommy John surgery – ending his season and putting some of his 2024 season in jeopardy.
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The Mets signed Max Scherzer in December of 2021 with the hopes that he would pair with his future teammate, Jacob DeGrom and lead the Mets to the World Series. Injuries held Scherzer to only 23 starts and 145 1/3 innings, but in those innings, Scherzer posted a career-best ERA. Scherzer will be more remembered for faltering in the last week of the season and in the playoffs than the many great starts he had.
The 2023 season started off the same way, with the Mets signing another ace (Justin Verlander) to pair with Scherzer this time to get them over the hump. Scherzer battled injuries yet again and ineffectiveness, but repeating his 2022 season was never going to be easy. Scherzer became way more susceptible to the long ball than he has been in recent seasons. At the trade deadline, the Mets sent Scherzer to the Texas Rangers for top prospect Luisangel Acuna, brother of Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves. Scherzer would improve on his performance in Texas, pitching to a 3.20 ERA but still dealing with injuries.
In the 2023 playoffs, Scherzer has started one game, facing the Houston Astros in the ALCS and giving up seven runs in 6 2/3 innings, giving up four home runs.
On March 17, 2022, the Mets signed Jankowski to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. Jankowski would have a brief Mets career as their fourth outfielder. Jankowski suffered a broken hand on May 25, making a diving catch, was activated July 11, and then ultimately designated for assignment. The Mariners picked him up for a brief stint before he returned to the Mets in August. His Mets career ended with a .167/.286/.167 slash line, stealing three bases.
Jankowski had one of his best seasons in 2023 with the Rangers, with a career-tying 1.4 bWAR over 107 games. He stole 19 bases and was caught only once during the regular season. Jankowski is 1-for-2 coming off the bench in four playoff games for the Rangers.
