Mets: Robert Gsellman’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 2019 season

The home and road splits of New York Mets relief pitcher Robert Gsellman are two extremes in an overall poor season.

Before Russell Crowe played Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the unneeded remake of The Mummy back 2017, the classic literary character was a solid representation of two extremes. Dr. Jekyll is a brilliant scientist whereas Mr. Hyde is an evil being bent on harming others. What does this have to do with the New York Mets? It’s the best way to describe Robert Gsellman’s season.

The Mets bullpen has been through a lot this year. Mostly, it has been bad. Gsellman has taken part in the struggles plenty of times. However, most of it came at home while playing at Citi Field.

Gsellman’s road splits are wonderful this year. When he spends the night sleeping in a hotel room, Gsellman is a pitcher with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings. At home, he’s allowing more than a run per inning. What gives?

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The Mets have been a notably bad team on the road this year with a first-half record of 17-31 away from Citi Field. They haven’t been an elite squad at home, but they have at least performed the way you might expect. Teams should win more at home. One would also expect pitchers to do the same. In Gsellman’s case, this is especially true.

Citi Field has a reputation as a pitcher’s ballpark. So, to see Gsellman struggle so much in this place comes as a bigger surprise. He has been dreadful at the place he’s most familiar with. Yet somehow, when he’s in the road greys, he has been their best reliever.

The two extremes may have something to do with the fact that he is a relief pitcher. One beat down by the opponent on any given night can inflate a relief pitcher’s ERA. Gsellman’s one-third of an inning performance where he gave up 5 earned runs against the San Francisco Giants took place at Citi Field. So did his more recent 3 earned runs in one inning versus the Atlanta Braves.

Gsellman’s Citi Field struggles go beyond just these two games. The Philadelphia Phillies did their damage against him in a game back in April. In May, the visiting Washington Nationals got their licks in against Gsellman, too.

When Gsellman has a blow up at home, he seems to go all in after it. Home runs aren’t killing him either. In fact, he has been the team’s most effective arm at keeping the ball in the park. Opposing batters are smacking him around with mostly singles and doubles. In his first 15 appearances at home this year, only a single batter has taken him yard at Citi Field. Compared to the three home runs allowed on the road, the end result is peculiar.

Other notable home and road splits from Gsellman include a .366 batting average against at home and a .215 one on the road. He has pitched far more outside of Flushing this year, already reaching 28 innings pitched. This has more to do with how badly the starters have performed in their road starts.

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Last year, Gsellman’s splits favored the road, too. However, the away 4.04 ERA wasn’t all that much better than the 4.47 ERA he posted while at home. This season’s difference is much larger. Whether it’s the pressures of pitching in front of the home crowd or other factors, the once reliable Mets reliever now looks unusable at their own ballpark.