We continue our first half report cards by taking a look at the New York Mets bullpen, which has been a considerable strength so far in 2021.
Things will start to get interesting now we are on the other side of the All-Star break but, before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on the work done by the Mets bullpen so far this season.
With the offense punching well below its considerable weight and the starting rotation ravaged by a plethora of injuries, the bullpen has had to step up in more ways than one and we’ve been witness to some late-game heroics.
So, on that note, let’s really hone in on some of the best work from the Mets bullpen in the first-half of the 2021 season…
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Elite Trio
There are three standout players that have really propelled the Mets bullpen so far this year, with this trio the main reason why the bullpen is ranked 13th in the majors with a 4.06 ERA.
Now, that isn’t elite, but considering the mess that was the Mets bullpen last year, it is a major step forward and things should only improve once certain players get healthy and return from the IL.
One player who has remained healthy and delivered, though, has been Aaron Loup who has without doubt been the MVP of the bullpen so far in 2021.
Loup has a 3-0 record with a stellar 1.61 ERA having allowed just five earned runs on 22 hits with no home runs allowed, 34 strikeouts and six walks.
Furthermore, the veteran has a ERA+ of 245 in 28 innings pitched, and he’s been the guy-to-go in the bullpen for the Mets.
He’s also been called upon as an opener in order to help a depleted rotation, and he has so far delivered whenever he’s been called upon.
While there will forever be a black mark against his name due to the lopsided trade with the Mariners, Edwin Diaz is quietly enjoying a solid career with the Mets having turned things around following a car crash of a debut season in Queens.
After getting things back on track in the shortened 2020 season, Diaz has been pretty good again this year and he was pitching at an All-Star level.
He retired the Braves in order on just seven pitches in the ninth inning in a 4-3 win on June 30, which was his eighth straight save and he now has 19 on the season in total, ranking seventh in all of baseball.
That’s a far cry from the reliever we saw take the mound in his first season in Queens, but Diaz has found his groove and he’s pitching to a 3.25 ERA so far this season while striking out 50 and not allowing a home run.
Although he missed most of the first half of the season after undergoing surgery on his elbow before Spring Training, Seth Lugo has made up for lost time upon his return, pitching to a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings with five earned runs allowed on 12 hits with seven walks and 21 strikeouts.
His return was certainly a timely boost for this bullpen and he will be huge for the Mets when the games take on even more importance in the second half.
The Walking Wounded
Like every other area of the Mets roster, the bullpen has taken its fair share of hits this season too, with Dellin Betances the big name to go down hurt.
Betances underwent season-ending surgery in late June after appearing in just one game for the Mets this season, a contest in which he pitched just one inning with a 9.00 ERA.
Tommy Hunter proved himself reliable to the Mets by going as an opener, a long man and a middle reliever but, like with most players on this roster, he found himself on the IL.
Robert Gsellman had a 3.72 ERA in 26 2/3 innings, but was put on the IL with a torn right lat and is still out.
Sean Reid-Foley pitched well to begin the season, struggled of late, and is now on the IL as well.
Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports
The Surprise Package
After being used here and there by the Mets, Drew Smith has started to establish himself as a regular in the bullpen in 2021, and he was very much a bonus throughout the first half.
Smith has pitched to a 2.92 ERA in 24.2 innings, allowing eight earned runs on 16 hits but striking out 25 and allowing 12 walks.
His ERA+ is a career-high 135 and, most importantly, he has demonstrated that he can be relied upon to deliver the goods in clutch situations.
The Rest
Miguel Castro had his moments during the first-half of the 2021 season, but he endured a rough outing in the final game before the All-Star break with his ERA now sitting at 3.86, with five runs allowed and seven walks issued in his last 5 1/3 innings.
Jeurys Familia turned back the clock this season and more than did a job for the Mets with 29 strikeouts in 29.1 innings, while pitching to a 3.76 ERA. Familia did spend a stint on the IL with a right hip impingement, and that could be a reason why the 31-year-old has a 8.59 ERA in his last eight outings.
Trevor May has shown flashes of the elite setup man the Mets thought he could be for them, but he’s also had a couple of bad stretches as well.
Signed to a two-year, $15.5 million contract to really bolster this bullpen, May has started to put it all together for the Mets after suffering from a lack of consistency, although his 0.1 WAR paints an overall picture of ineffectiveness.
After giving up three runs on Opening Day, the veteran went on to toss 14 straight scoreless outings only to allow five runs and three home runs from late-May to mid-June, propelling his ERA to 4.57.
However, May did bounce back nicely to throw 10 straight scoreless innings (as of July 7), while striking out 14 batters during that span.
He’s pitching to a 3.58 ERA overall in 2021 and has recently rediscovered his secondary pitches, but there is no doubt that the Mets will need a lot more from May in the second half of 2021 if he’s really to live up to his status as an elite setup man.
Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Final Grade: B-
Given that expectations were low coming into the 2021 season, the Mets bullpen has certainly surprised those that considered it a major weakness for this team.
Diaz’s continued resurgence is a huge reason why, and Lugo’s return has certainly helped matters while Loup has been a nice surprise.
However, both Castro and Familia fell off a cliff right before the All-Star break and May has been inconsistent throughout 2021 so far.
The fact that the bullpen is currently ranked 14th (ERA) in MLB is somewhat concerning, and many of their key cast appear to be on downward trends heading into the second-half.
Granted, having to navigate a grueling schedule of 33 games in just 31 days prior to the All-Star break didn’t help. If the front office can work their magic to bring in a reliable bullpen arm or two before the Trade Deadline to add some meat to this staff, then that should help transform this bullpen from a pleasant surprise into a formidable force, which it will need to be if the Mets are to be competitive in the postseason.
