The New York Mets’ ‘super subs’ will make them the class of the NL East

The New York Mets dealt with multiple injuries during a season ago. Even with key players out, the bench propelled the team to the playoffs.

The Major League Baseball season is a long, grueling 162 game grind in which a team’s viability can change in an instant. Players suffer bumps and bruises — occasionally, injuries that can end their season.

This was the story of the 2016 New York Mets.

What looked to be a promising year as a contender was riddled with injury after injury to key players. Most notably, three-fifths of the starting rotation. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz were all lost to the injury bug at separate points of the season.

The Metropolitans battled on en route to a Wild Card berth where they met one of the predominant Playoff pitchers of all-time, Madison Bumgarner. With Noah Syndergaard as their lone standing “Super Hero”, Thor was unable to advance New York to the next round, leaving fans wondering “only if.”

It may not feel like it, but it was a huge accomplishment for a team with a multitude of injured players to even have a realistic shot at the playoffs, let alone a World Series. Terry Collins instilled the “next man up” mentality to the players left standing. A mentality that led to a 27-13 record to close out the regular season.

To replace stars of the caliber of Harvey, deGrom and team captain David Wright. Sandy Alderson was tasked with investigating all trade opportunities and scouring his minor league system for players with the potential to fill such gaping holes in the roster.

Familiar faces returned and young unknowns found themselves thriving on the big stage. What looked like a lost season, as late as August 19, quickly changed and the Mets faithful found solace in that old mantra “Ya Gotta Believe.”

2017 offers a new chapter in the Alderson and Collins era of the Mets. The days of pinching pennies by the Wilpon family may remain, but Alderson has the organization running like a well-oiled machine, top to bottom.

The 2017 campaign will be without some popular faces, mainly “Big Sexy” Bartolo Colon, who has joined division rival, the Atlanta Braves. Without Colon in the rotation, Collins could turn to two pitchers who both made their mark during that late summer run, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman. Another choice that will be available to the Skipper will be once highly touted pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, who will finally make his return to the Major League after a long absence recovering from Tommy John Surgery.

While the starting rotation will have “Super Heroes” returning to start the season, it will be a cast of “Super Subs” who will play a large part in how successful the Mets season will end and help break a 30-year-old drought without a World Series.

Here is a closer look at the dynamic bench of the New York Mets:

INF Jose Reyes

The career of Jose Reyes came full circle during the 2016 season. He returned to the team who gave him his big break. Reyes, who made his major league debut with the Metropolitans during the 2003 season, was re-signed to the team after being designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies, last summer.

The return to New York was the bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for Reyes, who was suspended by MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, for a domestic violence incident that occurred prior to the start of the 2016 season. A breakout start to the season for Trevor Story and a 50-game suspension closed the door on Reyes’ tenure with the Rockies.

The former National League Batting Champion finished with a .267 average and 45 RBI in his 60 games with the Mets. Reyes was able to show versatility while filling in at three infield positions, second base, third base and shortstop.

The defensive flexibility shown at the end of the 2016 season will give Collins plenty of opportunities to cement Reyes at the top of the lineup, utilizing the blazing speed he still possesses.

Expect Reyes to have a similar year in average and to be a key component in the running game for Collins.

OF Michael Conforto

The 10th overall pick of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft progressed quickly through the Mets’ farm system to make an appearance in 2015. He has spent some time up and down from the minor leagues, finally staying with the club after a rash of injuries.

The 23-year-old may not have been as consistent with the bat, as Collins would have hoped, but when he did hit, he displayed some serious “pop” in his bat. The rising star was able to collect 12 home runs in the 109 games he appeared in for the Major League club.

2017 could be Conforto’s first full season in the big leagues, contingent on how the Jay Bruce saga plays out, he could find himself as the designated fourth outfielder. A move of Bruce would open up some much needed playing time and at-bats.

Conforto is a big part of Alderson’s future plans for the Mets, as such, he will pick up a first base mitt this Spring Training, to allow for use when Bruce, Granderson and Cespedes are patrolling the outfield. With Lucas Duda being as injury prone as he is, Conforto may see more time at first than in the outfield in 2017.

OF Brandon Nimmo

Another first-round pick who could make a splash as an outfielder and bat off the bench is fresh-faced always smiling Brandon Nimmo, who appeared in 32 games for the New York Mets in 2016. Batting at a respectable .274 average in 80 plate appearances, Nimmo has the ability to put the ball in play when needed.

Nimmo also was able to find success against left-handed pitching, a plus for Collins who could use him primarily as a pinch-hitter. During the 2016 season, Nimmo played all three outfield positions, but when he did garner a start, it was primarily in the corners.

The Mets have yet to see a large enough sample of Nimmo to determine his ceiling. He could get some extra playing time in the minors to refine his skills, but the fan base will be certain to see him throughout the year, as he was regularly called up during the season.

INF Wilmer Flores

The lasting memory of the 2015 season was the sight of a young Wilmer Flores brought to tears at the prospect of being traded from the organization he had been a part of since he was 16 years old.

Fast forward a year to 2016, where Flores played fill in at three different infield positions. He has stated recently that he prefers to play second base, but with the versatility he has shown over the past season, he certainly fits the “super sub” player description.

Flores was a very streaky hitter throughout the 2016 season. In a stretch during July, he was able to catch fire and in one particular game collected six hits, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in Flushing since the playing days of Edgardo Alfonzo.

For the fanbase, it would be great to see Flores become the everyday player they imagined he would be when he signed with the Mets at age 16. If that never comes to fruition, Collins will be happy to utilize him as a backup throughout the infield.

2B T.J. Rivera & C Rene Rivera

During the late season push by the New York Mets to reach the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, two players that unexpectedly contributed were T.J. and Rene Rivera (no relation).

T.J. Rivera got the call up to the Major League, after an absolute monster season with the Binghamton Mets. He completed his minor league season with a .349 batting average and 90 RBI before being called up to the majors on August 10. After the injury to Neil Walker, T.J. Rivera became the everyday second baseman, hitting for a .333 average in the 33 remaining games.

The importance of Rene Rivera is for one reason, and one reason only. He acted as Noah Syndergaard’s personal catcher. Offensively, the Mets won’t expect much out of Rene Rivera, but defensively, he is an upgrade to Travis d’Arnaud, and thus, will be essential when Thor takes the mound.

Walker and d’Arnaud will almost certainly start the season as the everyday starters. If for any reason, they are unable to suit up, Collins will be confident that T.J. and Rene Rivera will be able to fill in with little drop-off.

OF Juan Lagares

If you were to rank the importance of each member of the New York Mets bench, no player may be more important than Juan Lagares. The former Gold Glove-winning center fielder will almost certainly spend the majority of his playing time as a defensive replacement in the Mets’ crowded outfield.

This is quite a luxury for Collins, who will have the ability to replace any one of his sluggers with Lagares, who is arguably one of the best defensive center fielders in the league.

It will be interesting to see how Collins will handle Lagares if he is able to get in a groove at the plate, especially if the Mets are able to advance to the postseason. In a playoff game setting, every run is crucial, and Lagares may be called upon to start some games in a defensive role, to alleviate some pressure off the young pitching staff.

RHPs Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman

To replace a starting pitcher is a large task for someone that is called up from the minor leagues. To replace two starters from a staff full of aces is a gigantic task. This is what the New York Mets had asked of Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.

In 8 starts for the Mets, Lugo went 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA. An eye-opening stint for the righty, who impressed with a 1.09 WHIP. Lugo will get an invite to Spring Training this year, and compete for the fifth starter position in the rotation, hoping to become the next “super hero” of the staff.

Gsellman, like Lugo, also impressed in relief of Steven Matz, who was added to the disabled list late in the year. Gsellman ended the season with a 4-2 record and 2.42 ERA. The 23-year-old will also have a shot to become the fifth starter, after the departure of Bartolo Colon, who signed with the rival Atlanta Braves this offseason.

Alderson and Collins will get a good look at Lugo, Gsellman and the returning Wheeler to fill the void left thanks the Colon departure. For the two who do not make the starting rotation, they surely will be used as either relief pitching help or spot starters while they get work in the minor leagues.

Too many starters? Not a bad problem to have.