It has been an interesting start to what has already been a crazy 2020 MLB baseball season. With only 60 games and every matchup having more importance, the New York Mets with first-year manager Luis Rojas have a record of 14-16. Let’s take a look at how each player has performed through the first 30 games.
Dominic Smith: A
If Yoenis Cespedes never opted out, Dominic Smith may not have got a shot to play every day, and has he ever taken advantage of it. Smith has played both left field and first base as well as designated hitter. He leads the team with seven home runs and has 23 RBI’s, including a streak of four games in a row with a home run.
Michael Conforto: A
It was a bit of a frustrating start to the season for a Michael Conforto. He came up with at-bats in critical spots with runners on base and struck out. However, recently he redeemed himself against the Miami Marlins with a game-winning two-run home run after the Mets blew a lead in the eighth inning. Conforto has been the ironman all season, playing in all 30 games. His numbers are also strong as he is hitting .330 and has five home runs and 14 RBI’s.
Andres Gimenez: A
The Mets number three ranked prospect made the team out of summer camp as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. Following injuries to multiple starters, Andres Gimenez has turned himself into an everyday player but was recently placed on the injured list. While he has yet to hit for power, Gimenez has done everything else. The rookie hits for contact, steal bases, and plays terrific defense.
Jacob deGrom: A
As Jacob deGrom aims for a third straight Cy Young, he has pitched well to start the season. deGrom has picked up a pair of wins and had his best start in his last outing where he struck out 14. Injuries continue to nag deGrom as he had a hot spot on his hand and then missed a start with neck stiffness. When he is healthy, the Mets have one of the best pitchers in the league.
Luis Guillorme: A
Luis Guillorme hit .565 in his final year of high school. He has started to resemble his younger self with an incredible start to the season. With the extended rosters, Guillorme secured a spot on the team and has been red-hot at the plate. He also plays tremendous defense and is one of the biggest surprises on the team this year.
Robinson Cano: A-
Robinson Cano had a miserable first season with New York. He suffered an early-season injury after hitting over .400 to start the year. The former New York Yankees’ second baseman hit a home run in his first game back and hit a game-tying single with two outs in the ninth against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cano can still hit but he is streaky.
David Peterson: A-
The odds of David Peterson getting a start this season had it been a regular year with a healthy rotation would have been low. Regardless, the young left-hander has been the second-best pitcher on the Mets this season. He earned his first win at Fenway Park and has a win in three of his four starts. Peterson has done a terrific job of getting ahead of hitters and cemented himself into the starting five despite going on the injured list.
Chasen Shreve: B+
Chasen Shreve has seen his role expand as a multiple inning reliever this season. Despite not throwing particularly hard, the left-hander has 18 strikeouts in 13 innings. He earned his first win of the season after going two and one-third innings out of the bullpen on August 17. The home run has hurt him a bit, but Shreve has provided the Mets with a quality arm out of the bullpen.
Jared Hughes: B
After Jared Hughes missed the start of the season following his battle with COVID-19, he has been terrific in his return. Rojas has asked a lot from the veteran reliever and uses him in multiple inning situations occasionally. Hughes quickly made an impact with his teammates and the fans with his quirkiness on and off the mound.
Seth Lugo: B
Seth Lugo started the season out as a main piece in the bullpen. He can pitch in any circumstance, and despite a couple of poor outings, he was still the team’s best reliever. The Mets moved him to the rotation and has made one start. He was perfect in his three innings in that start.
Drew Smith: B
One of the more impressive Mets’ relief pitchers this season has been Drew Smith. The young pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery last season and has come back strong in seven appearances after surprisingly being sent down to the alternate site. Smith is pitching to a 3.00 ERA and has his velocity up in the upper 90’s.
J.D. Davis: B+
Ever since J.D. Davis came to the Mets, all he has done is hit. He has moved up to the middle of the order and played excellent defense at third base after starting the season off as the starting left fielder. Davis has four home runs and 12 RBI’s and has become the every day third basemen.
Pete Alonso: C
Coming off a 53 home run rookie season, Pete Alonso’s expectations were high for the 2020 season. He got off to a rough start but has started to find his game of late. The big slugger has increased his average a bit and now has six home runs and 16 RBI’s at the midway point with his big hit coming against the Yankees with a game-tying three-run home run in game number 30.
Pete Alonso snaps an 0-for-13 skid with authority. pic.twitter.com/QptrPT5Gw6
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) August 28, 2020
Brandon Nimmo: C
It seems like in every Brandon Nimmo at-bat this season, he has been in 3-2 counts. Nimmo has done a great job of getting on base with walks and has hit for some power. However, he has not hit much in the clutch and has been playing sub-par defense in center field.
Rick Porcello: C-
The one part of Rick Porcello’s game is that he will start every fifth day. With all the Mets’ injuries, Porcello has been a mainstay and has made all of his starts. After a rough season in 2019, the former AL CY Young Award winner has been average to begin this year.
Edwin Diaz: C-
Edwin Diaz nearly blew the opening game of the season. The following day, he allowed a game-tying home run to Marcell Ozuna and had a horrible outing against the Boston Red Sox. He ended up losing his closer role and has pitched better in low-leverage situations but has been nowhere near where the Mets need Diaz to be after trading away Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn for him. With the move of Lugo to the rotation, Diaz has been getting more opportunities later in games. Diaz got his second save of the season against the Yankees by striking out the side.
Billy Hamilton: C-
Despite the Mets giving up another prospect for a player they could have signed in the offseason, Billy Hamilton provides the Mets with speed that they have lacked. He has only one hit, but plays tremendous defense. Hamilton had his one lowlight come trying to move up a base after a bad throw with New York down by a run in a game against the Phillies on August 14, but also scored the winning run Wednesday night against the Marlins.
Amed Rosario: D+
Amed Rosario established himself as an everyday player last year after a strong finish. However, after getting off to a slow start and with the rise of Gimenez and Guillorme, the pressure is on for Rosario to contribute. He has yet to do much and most noticeably has not walked in 92 at-bats this season. With all his speed, Rosario needs to find ways to get on base so he can use his speed.
Dellin Betances: D+
It has been evident that Dellin Betances is not the same pitcher he was with the Yankees after his injuries. His fastball sits in the mid-’90s and still has a strong off-speed pitch that can get big league hitters out. As the season has gone on, Betances has pitched in big spots and could see his velocity increase over time after pitching only once last season.
Wilson Ramos: D+
The Mets have been waiting for Wilson Ramos to get going this season. He has struggled to hit with runners in scoring position where he has excelled most of his career. Ramos also has struggled defensively with the balls in the dirt and is remembered for his slow tag at the plate on Bryce Harper’s walk-off hit. The Mets have shown they are willing to go to Tomas Nido and promoted their top catching prospect to the 60-man player pool.
Michael Wacha: D+
Michael Wacha’s first start with New York was vintage Wacha from his early career in St. Louis. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits. In his next two starts, he gave up nine runs in nine innings. He then went on the injured list forcing the Mets to dig for pitching depth at their alternate site in Brooklyn and returned on Friday against the Yankees in yet another bad outing.
Justin Wilson: D
Justin Wilson got off to a rough start to begin the season against Boston Red Sox. He was the most overused pitcher during the first week of the season but has gotten some rest as the season has gone on. His best pitch has been his cutter that he has thrown more often and can get both lefty and righties out but has an ERA above 7.00
Jeff McNeil: D
Jeff McNeil likely had a chance to lead the NL in batting average in the shortened season. Unfortunately, he has been unable to remain healthy. He missed time twice this season and was moved to left field after trouble at third base. His knee injury though came after a remarkable catch against the Philadelphia Phillies that saved two runs.
McNeil has been able to get on base but has yet to hit with RISP and hit for any power. A big question coming into the season would be if the Mets got the player that hit for average in the first half of last season or the power in the second half. So far, the Mets have yet to really get either as McNeil is hitting .267 and has no home runs.
Robert Gsellman: D
In his first appearance after coming off the injured list, Robert Gsellman was sharp out of the bullpen. He then was forced into the rotation and has yet to pitch more than two innings. The Mets have been trying to stretch him out but he allowed a three-run home run in his first start and then threw 47 pitches to get five outs in his last start.
Steven Matz: D-
With the Mets’ starters struggling to remain healthy, Steven Matz became a bigger piece for New York this season. However, Matz has had a rough year and lost his spot in the starting rotation. He has given up nine home runs and has an ERA of 9.00. Matz has been unable to get deep into games and has only one good start, which ended up being an extra-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves.
With 16 teams making the playoffs, the Mets are still in contention for the postseason. They are going to need to pick up their play and win more consistently. Their biggest problem has been injuries and hitting with runners in scoring position and if they can get those problems fixed, they will be contenders to win the NL East.
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