The Mets are 8-2 in their last 10 games and they’ve done this while their alleged two best relievers are bringing gas cans to the mound. It’s tough to wrap your brain around that one. Jose Butto and Edwin Diaz have combined for 8 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 6 BB and 11 Ks. That’s a 9.00 ERA and a 1.625 WHIP
Meanwhile, Phil Maton has a 1.93 ERA and the other six relievers haven’t given up a run. The non-Butto-and-Diaz relievers have combined for 18 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB and 19 Ks. That’s a 0.50 ERA and a 0.444 WHIP.
It will be nice if Dedniel Nunez is able to return to the field. His presence would allow the Mets to shift Butto to lower-leverage outings, at least for a little while. Butto is looking at the typical bad stretch for a reliever, as he’s given up runs in three of his last four outings. We don’t have any idea how long the bad stretch will continue. But they should find out while he’s pitching in games that aren’t close.
Diaz already has had a bad stretch this year. From 4/29-5/25, he appeared in 10 games and allowed 11 ER in 10.1 IP for a 9.58 ERA. It’s certainly possible that he could have a second bad stretch. Yet we hope that with three straight scoreless games that he’s righted the ship.
Starters consistently going 6 or 7 innings instead of like 4 and 2/3 makes a big difference as we all know.
Assuming the mets pick up existing options the bullpen could absolutely be a strength going into next season.
D Young
Maton
Nunez
Brazoban
Blackburn (potentially as the swing)
Butto (if he s not in the rotation)
Diaz
Lots of potential there.
It is a skill to master bullpen management. A manager needs to be flexible along with being a psychologist.
High leverage tier: Diaz 9th, Maton 8th, Garrett or D. Young 6th or 7th
Low leverage tier: Ottavino, Butto, A Young , Stanek
Diaz has three recent outings with 3 Innings, 0 Hits, 0 BB, 0 ER, 7 K’s.
It is amazing how the bullpen performs good when they get enough rest.
Or as in Diaz s case – steady work. He s better pitching 3 days in a row than once or twice a week
Ron Darling made a point that Diaz is much better when he’s angry. Well, he better be. That slider to Carroll still bothers me. Not just because it was a terribly executed helicopter, but Carroll didn’t even flinch at the fastball before that. It was so obvious that he didn’t even care about the fastball that whoever called that slider to begin with should be ashamed of themselves. But, the execution…. wow.
Jose Iglesias:
First 100 PA – .387/.430/.591 1.021 OPS
Last 100 PA – .231/.290/.275 565 OPS
For a while in mid-August Mendoza seemed to have gotten the memo and back off using Iglesias but he’s now reversed course and started 5 of the last 7 games when he should be getting no more than 2 starts a week at this point.
I am typing on a phone, and because I don’t want to lose this painful effort, I will post in blurbs
I want to talk about NLMVP vote in 2024
Question: should 50/50 determine who win MVP?
Answer: bleep no
Now, I can understand when Ohtani puts up batting stats which, by themselves, are mvp-worthy, and then puts up pitching numbers that represent a top ten performance, well there’s little doubt of who should be mvp
He has done approximately that twice already
That was among the longest sentences I’ve ever written.
So super hitter and pretty good pitcher combined into one player is extremely valuable
But huge HR and speedy base runner combined into one player?
So tf what?
What advantage is there to this combination?
If somebody else on the team steals 50 bases, how is that less advantageous?
So we are aware of the bone ers ohtani elicits in baseball fans. And all the other acronym categories in which he leads but, again, so tf what?
Would the dodgers still be in first place without him?
Probably
Would they still be playoff bound without him?
Absolutely
Where would the Mets be without Lindor?
With a better record than the chisox?
I guess
With a better record than anyone else?
Possibly
QED
Which, for you normies, means
Which tf was what I wanted to prove
Jose,
I agree. I’m not big on awards but not playing the field has to detract.
By the way, the Mets had a really good day Thursday.