New York Mets player predictions for the 2019 MLB season


Jeurys Familia
Just when you thought it was safe to throw away your Jeurys Familia “shirsey,” the Mets bring him back on a three-year deal. This time around, he’ll work as the setup many. Hopefully, the results are even better.
Familia’s new role will suit him well. He will pitch mostly in the 8th inning and will thrive under less pressure than he is used to. – Mark Sales
I believe Familia will benefit from a setup role with the Mets, which is where he was before being forced into closing duty after the Jenrry Mejia Fiasco. Knowing he is surrounded by a strong bullpen will do wonders. – Kevin Strauss
Mets’ fans are excited to see Familia back in Flushing, especially because he has been a wonderful closer throughout his career. I expect him to be Diaz’s set-up man but because that is not a role he is particularly accustomed to, I am not sure how well he will fare. However, even in the worst-case scenario, I do not expect him to be a trainwreck and may finish with an ERA of 3-3.60. – Leen Amin
Over the past few seasons, Familia was a solid, but inconsistent closer. Now that Diaz has taken over the 9th inning role, Familia should become one of the best 8th inning relievers in baseball. – Allen Settle
Excelling in his new set-up role, Familia leads the NL in ‘holds’. – Jason Dye
Familia will struggle in a setup role at first but settle in. He will use his slider more to keep hitters off-balance and pound the zone with his sinker. Ultimately, he’ll do well. – Nick Scheurer
Familia’s control struggled a bit more when he was a setup man in Oakland than when he was the save guy in New York. But not by much. But it does concern me that he has pitched approximately 75 innings in four of his last five seasons in the majors. The wear and tear on his arm could lead to a temporary IL stint or a regression on his pitches. I say he has 4 or 5 games where he gives up runs late in the 8th and the Mets may have to rely on Corey Oswalt to step up and become the new 8th inning set up guy for a while. – Steve Malkik
Now in a new role, we may see Jeurys Familia relax a little bit more. He’ll pitch well in the setup role and get a few chances to add to his saves total. Ultimately, year one in his return will look like a success. – Tim Boyle