Re-Signing Marcus Stroman Should Be Mets’ Priority

Heading into what figures to be an extremely busy offseason, one of the New York Mets’ top priority should be to work out a long-term deal with right-hander Marcus Stroman.

Aside from ace right-hander Jacob deGrom, Stro was easily the Mets’ Most Valuable Pitcher this season.

Stroman was one of the more reliable and consistent pitchers, not just on the team, but in all of baseball during the 2021 season. Even after not pitching during the 2020 pandemic shortened season, the righty put together one of the best seasons of his seven-year big league career.

“I’m beyond proud of myself. I put a ton of work into it whether it be at the field, away from the field, physically, mentally, emotionally. I truly try to be great in all facets of life and I think it all plays together,” Stroman said following his final start of the year.

There’s certainly plenty to be proud of.

Stroman finished tied for the league lead with 33 starts on the year. Despite the injury-plagued season for the Mets, the 30-year old didn’t miss a single outing, which is something he said was extremely gratifying. 

“It’s a testament to the work I put in. It’s a testament to my trainer, my family, everyone around me, the staff here with the Mets, it’s a collective effort. To go out and make every start after coming off zero innings pitched is a testament to the work I put in,” Stroman said.

When deGrom went down due to numerous different injuries throughout the season, Stroman stepped up time after time and served as the stop-gate for this team. He came through and pitched big game after big game all season long.

Stroman was able to put together a quality start in 16 of his 33 outings on the season. He pitched to a 3.02 ERA, which was good enough for eighth in baseball, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 3.49 FIP, with 158 strikeouts over 179 innings pitched.

While he may cost a pretty penny coming off a career year, Stroman is exactly the type of presence the Mets need to keep alongside deGrom at the top of their rotation for next season and beyond.

Stroman is as reliable as they get, and has shown he has what it takes to pitch in New York. It doesn’t matter how big the moment is, Stro wants to ball in his hands. As Luis Rojas said numerous times throughout the season, he’s a bulldog.

The Long Island native has that New York swag, fire, and passion that Mets fans have quickly embraced and loved. He certainly knows how to talk the talk and backs it up with his big-time pitching.

Marcus Stroman was an absolute star for the 2021 New York Mets, and should be a key piece of this core for years to come.