How should Carlos Mendoza manage his bullpen down the stretch?

Entering September, the Mets are in a position where they can reach the playoffs as a wild card. They are currently one game behind the Atlanta Braves for the last wild card spot in the National League. So unlike last season, the Mets will have meaningful September games to play for.

Carlos Mendoza in his first season as MLB manager, will be tasked with making decisions down the stretch, with the team hanging for dear life in the playoff race. How he manages will also be key in the Mets playoff hopes.

One area where he would probably have a big say is the bullpen which has been up and down all season. To take pressure off Mendoza, the Mets bullpen has struggled at times, starting with the closer Edwin Diaz and going down to some of the other relievers as well. The bullpen is also shorthanded with injuries to a few of the relievers.

Entering this month, the Mets bullpen is still without Sean Reid-Foley, and recently Dedniel Nunez went back to the IL with forearm tightness. So they’re without some key arms, and Nunez’s unavailability is a big blow considering he has perhaps been the team’s most reliable reliever all year.

With the current available arms that Mendoza has, here’s how he should manage the bullpen depending on the situation of the game.

First, this is a no brainer no matter how much he struggled at times this season. Diaz is still the closer and he is the man in the ninth inning when the Mets have a small lead. And there’s no doubt that the Mets need the effective Diaz to get in the playoffs.

The question with using Diaz, is whether to use him for more than a full inning. Basically bringing him in the eighth inning for more than a three out save. The last time Mendoza bought Diaz in the eighth inning turned out disastrous, as Diaz walked his first two batters before giving up the go-ahead grand slam to Corbin Carroll in Arizona back on August 28.

Diaz was brought in the eighth inning many times in the past for a four out save or more, particularly in 2022 when he had his best season. This season, he clearly is not the same pitcher that he was two years ago, but Diaz has still had some fine moments that got the job done in the ninth inning.

Mendoza said a few weeks ago that he does plan to use Diaz for more than an inning if needed, down the stretch. Despite Diaz’s hiccup in the Desert in that eighth inning, Mendoza should not be hesitant to do it again, especially with Nunez out and the Mets not having a sure setup man yet.

Which brings us to the eighth inning man for the Mets with a lead. This is probably the biggest question for the bullpen with Nunez out for a while again. For now, the best choice would be Phil Maton. He has probably been their most consistent reliever in the second half, with a 1.77 ERA since joining the Mets. Lately, Maton has pitched in the eighth inning of close games, and he even came in the ninth on Monday for his first save as a Met. Maton has also pitched in many playoff games for the Houston Astros, where he spent several seasons there prior to this year. So he has experience pitching in big games, and he wouldn’t be a bad fit for the setup man, bridging to Diaz.

Jose Butto has also pitched late in games, and has pitched multiple innings, due to him being originally a starting pitcher. He has been effective for the most part as a reliever. So Mendoza can mix and match with Butto and Maton in the eighth inning.

The Mets lone lefty reliever Danny Young has been reliable, with an era under 2.00 in the second half, and so Mendoza has used him late in games vs left-handed hitters late in games as well. Then there’s also Reed Garrett and Ryan Stanek, who have both been inconsistent at times this season. Garrett had a great April but has struggled since in terms of consistency. But he’s still had some good outings, including on Tuesday when he came in the 8^th inning with 2 runners on and no outs with the Mets clinging to a 3-1 lead. Garrett got out of the inning, allowing only one inherited runner to score.

Stanek has pitched better as of late after a slow start since joining the Mets at the end of July. Like Maton, Stanek has also pitched in postseason games with the Astros. So his big game experience could help too in the stretch run. Both Garrett and Stanek have strikeout material, with Garrett with his splitter, and Stanek with his high 90s fastball. So both of them are certainly capable of coming in and getting big strikeouts for the bullpen.

Finally, there’s also Adam Ottavino, who’s struggled mightily this season, resulting in a fall from the setup man to pitching in mop up duties most of the time. Ottavino has been a proven veteran reliever for many years, so he is still available if needed, and if other relievers need a day off.

So overall, Diaz in the 9^th, and Maton/Butto in the 8^th of a lead. Mendoza could use Young vs a tough lefty hitter. And then Garrett/Stanek/Ottavino could be used beforehand when a starter leaves early. Stanek and Garrett could also be used late in tight games, if Butto and Maton need a day off.

If the relievers from the Mets bullpen come in and do their roles effectively with their potential, this could be a solid bullpen down the stretch that could propel the Mets to the playoffs.