The final regular season grades are now officially in for the 90-win team known as the NL East Champion New York Mets. How did they do?
By David Hong
So overall, it has been a great year for the Mets, especially since few of the experts expected the Mets to win their division, let alone reach the playoffs.
A lot of the Mets players had fine years and were key parts to the Mets resurgence on their way to the NL East title. There was great starting pitching, solid bullpen, and a red-hot offense in the second half after general manager Sandy Alderson acquired more offense through the trade acquisitions they made at the end of July.
I know there’s the playoffs to come for them but for now, I will grade all the Mets players. manager and General Manager based on their performance in the regular season.
Catching
Travis d’Arnaud: d’Arnaud got off to a sizzling start before being sidelined to the DL after getting hit by a pitch. He returned in June but quickly went back to the DL that month. He came back in August and had a red hot August with the bat before cooling off in September. Overall d’Arnaud has progressed and showed a lot of development not only offensively but defensively behind the plate as well.
Grade: B
Kevin Plawecki: In his rookie season Plawecki showed some blurts, but it has been a learning process. He may have potential as a hitter but Kevin didn’t show much offensively, hitting only .219 to finish. He has however proven that he’s a good game caller behind the plate and works well with the pitcher. Still could improve on his throws.
Grade: C-
Anthony Recker: The longtime Mets backup, Recker was just what he always was. Capable of filling in when d’Arnaud or Plawecki when needing a break. Occasionally, he showed some pop, but doesn’t hit much for average.
Grade: D
Johnny Monell: Was in and out of the majors and the minors. Played sparingly but wasn’t much productive.
Grade: Incomplete
Infield
Lucas Duda: Duda has been the streakiest hitter on the Mets. He got off to a sizzling start, having consecutive games with multiple extra base hits. Cooled off in June then got hot again at the end of July, hitting nine home runs in eight games. Duda went on the DL with a tight back in August, came back in September and looked rusty, but provided one last hot moment when he hit four home runs in three games to help the Mets win the NL East. Only hit .244 but finished with 27 home runs. Not yet Gold Glove caliber but he has improved even more defensively this year.
Grade: B-
Daniel Murphy: Got of to a slow start offensively but picked it up from midseason and on. Finished with a .284 average and a career high 14 home runs. Was the team’s most consistent clutch hitter and toughest to strike out. Although he still makes mental mistakes defensively, he was decent for the most part.
Grade: B
Wilmer Flores: Got off to a decent start offensively showing some pop. Not so much with the glove at shortstop, making a lot of errors early on drawing the fans, thus splitting time with Tejada. But Flores’s relationship with the fans changed in an emotional way when he was seen crying on the field after hearing he was traded. As we all know, the trade for Carlos Gomez never materialized and Flores became a fan favorite afterwards. The night affected his play too. He hit a walk-off home run against the Nationals during his first game after the tears and hit well over .300 in August. His defense also improved since that magical night. Wore out a little in September perhaps due to fatigue.
Grade: B-
Reuben Tejada: Was the backup shortstop most of the year but made some starts at shortstop when Flores struggled. He didn’t disappoint as a fielder. His bat improved from past years. Still shows no pop but average improved to a respectable .267 which is much better than the years when he barely cracked the .200 mark.
Grade: B-
David Wright: Missed most of the season with a hamstring injury and spinal stenosis. Came back late August. Looked rusty as expected especially on the field but played better there towards the end as he got more comfortable. Although he may not be the same power hitter he once was due to his injuries, he still had some moments hitting the ball showing some pop down the stretch.
Grade: C+
Juan Uribe: Before going down with a chest injury, Juan was a steady influence in the clubhouse and on the field. May not have hit for a high average but showed some power and also had some big hits as well. His contributions go beyond the stat sheet.
Grade: B
Kelly Johnson: Was brought in with Uribe. Played sparingly down the stretch but showed versatility and occasional hitting. His biggest hit as a Met was hitting the game tying home run off Steven Strasburg that led to the eventual Mets sweep of the Nats.
Grade: C
Eric Campbell: Was a disappointment compared to last season. Finished the season hitting only .197. That alone determined what kind of year he had.
Grade: D
Outfield
Curtis Granderson: The Mets offensive MVP. Was the leadoff hitter all year and did a tremendous job. Became more patient at the plate and drew 91 walks. Also flashed more consistent pop this year and finished with 26 home runs and 98 runs. His .257 average is much better than when he hit .227 last season. Also became an adequate defensive outfielder once again, making many nice catches to prevent hits.
Grade: A-
Yoenes Cespedes: May have become the NL MVP starting from August on, because after the Mets acquired him, the offense took off. He hit 17 home runs as a Met and really revived this once struggling Mets lineup with his presence. He also played center field most of the time and was adequate there too. May have cooled off a bit in September. But no doubt, the Mets wouldn’t be where they are without him.
Grade: A
Michael Conforto: The Mets 2014 first-round pick burst into the scene on late July. Really showed a lot of his potential as a hitter. Showed some pop, hitting nine home runs. More impressively, he was a much better fielder than people expected. Made some spectacular catches and had a good arm too. One of the futures is already here.
Grade: B+
Juan Lagares: Was expected by many to take a huge step forward. He might’ve regressed a little. Still showed some undiscipline as a hitter, flailing at pitches out of the strike zone. He was benched towards the end and played only sparingly. His defense also took a little hit with his elbow issue and it affected his throwing. But he still made spectacular plays at center and is one of the best still. He did hit well against lefties. He still needs to show more discipline as a hitter. Gotta also have more patience at the plate in order to develop.
Grade: C
Michael Cuddyer: As the Mets biggest offseason acquisition, Cuddyer was a disappointment. He wasn’t the hitter that he was when he won a batting title back in 2013. Got hurt, and went to the DL in the middle of the season. Came back in August and hit a little better. But overall, it was not a pretty year for Cud. He however was a steady influence in the clubhouse and that’s why he gets a + alongside his D.
Grade: D+
Starting Rotation
Jacob deGrom: The Mets most consistent starter. Took a step up from his stellar rookie year. At one point, he was nearly unbeatable from mid May to late August, becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in the league. Went through a tough stretch from late August through early September. But picked it up in his last two starts, earning the right to start Game 1. Finished with over 200 Ks and a 2.54 ERA.
Grade: A
Noah Syndergaard: Burst onto the scene in May and showed what the Mets future holds in their rotation. For the most part Thor was dominant at home. He struggled on the road but picked it up late. Was a strikeout machine who became considered the hardest thrower in the game now. But he also had pinpoint control, becoming one of the best in strikeouts to walk ratio. Finished with 166 Ks which is most by a Mets rookie since the great Dwight Gooden had 276 in 1984.
Grade: B+
Matt Harvey: In his first season back from Tommy John surgery, Matt was sharp for most of the season. He suffered through a few struggles here and there, perhaps from trying to recover from TJ. He, of course, also had the innings limit controversy, but considering he missed a year, Harvey had a great year, becoming more versatile by adding a curve and did a good job not letting his controversy get in the way by finishing strong and racking up Ks as he does best.
Grade: A-
Steven Matz: His rookie season was cut short by multiple injuries, but when he was healthy he also showed a lot of his potential. In his first start, not only did he get the win, but went 3-3 with 4 RBI, showing his prowess as a hitter. Another youngster who throws hard and as long as he can healthy, the sky is also the limit for him.
Grade: B-
Bartolo Colon: Considering his age (43), definitely an impressive year for him. Yeah when he wasn’t sharp he was roughed up in a big way, but when he was sharp, he was close to dominant especially when doing it with one pitch. Won 14 games and was perhaps the Mets most consistent starter down the stretch. And also showed more prowess with the bat this year too.
Grade: B+
Jon Niese: Niese had an up and down stretch. His best work was during the middle part of the year, even though he couldn’t win because he had no run support. He had consecutive stretches when he gave up 2 runs or less from late June to early August. But Niese fell back into inconsistency the rest of the way. He will pitch from the bullpen in the NLDS.
Grade: C
Logan Verrett: Had few fill in starts and pitched from the pen too. Had a few good starts, but didn’t pitch enough to justify a grade.
Grade: Incomplete
Bullpen
Jeurys Familia: This guy may have been the Mets overall MVP. The first year closer really stepped up and became one of the best in the game. His final numbers were sparkling – 43 saves which ties a Mets record, a 1.85 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. That’s pretty tough to hit with his fastball, slider and splitter which all reach 90 mph. Also, he’s a guy who can pitch more than one inning in a game too. Other than a few hiccups right after the All-Star break, he was dominant all year.
Grade: A
Tyler Clippard: Clippard was dominant in August after Mets acquired him, but so much in September, struggling with the long ball and his back as well.
Grade: C+
Addison Reed: Reed came over to the Mets in August and was spectacular. Before the Bryce Harper home run on Saturday, he didn’t give up an earned run since coming over to the Mets. He’s been so good Collins is considering putting Reed in the eighth-inning role.
Grade: A-
Carlos Torres: Struggled at times when he was thrust into the set up role. Pitched better when he was back to his more comfortable middle reliever.
Grade: C
Sean Gilmartin and Eric Goedell: Neither of them have been dominant but both have been serviceable out of the pen. Gilmartin may not be the lefty specialist the Mets need but he has been a solid long reliever who can pitch multiple innings.
Grade: B-
Bobby Parnell and Eric O’Flaherty: On the contrary, both of these guys have been awful. Parnell got off to a decent start after coming back from injury, but he drastically fell off in August and has been a shell of himself. O’Flaherty meanwhile has been awful all year. Brought in to get lefties out, he couldn’t get lefties or righties out. He’s been an adventure even in a eight run Mets lead.
Grade: F
Dario Alvarez: Showed a little something as a lefty, striking out Bryce Harper in his first game, but got hurt in mid September. He showed some of what he can do, but not completely yet.
Grade: Incomplete
Coaching, Front Office
Terry Collins: Sure he might’ve made some questionable moves at times on the field, but Collins deserves credit for keep the team afloat over .500 when the team struggling in the middle of the year. The offense struggling mightily early on, the botched Gomez trade in July, and the Harvey innings limit saga in September were just three of the major issues he had to overcome. Collins is still a player’s manager, most of who still love playing for him. And when the Mets got help through the trades, Collins’s team took off. With the deeper lineup Collins did a good job giving everyone playing time and putting the right lineups against righty and lefty pitchers as well. He deserves consideration for NL Manager of the Year.
Grade: A-
Sandy Alderson: Sandy got a lot of criticism over the years for not spending and not being aggressive. This season though, it’s time to give him credit. His acquisitions of Uribe, Johnson, Clippard, Reed, and Cespedes clearly turned the team around and they ran away with the NL East, while adding help to the lineup and the bullpen. Consider how the Mets offense which was maybe the worst before the acquisitions. Afterwards they became tops overall from August on. So Sandy wasn’t just aggressive, he was aggressive on making the right moves to fill in the right needs.
Grade: A