Mets reliever Jeurys Familia appears to have regained his old form
![PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 04: Jeurys Familia #27 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 4, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Frisingapple-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1159696187-850x560-6e78cebbd8fd2bf0cc7cd005a6edcd22.jpg)
After struggling to begin the year, Jeurys Familia appears to have regained his old form as one of the top relievers in the New York Mets bullpen.
After being dealt to the Oakland Athletics in July of 2018, the New York Mets re-signed their former closer Jeurys Familia to a 3-year $30 million contract this past offseason, intending for him to serve as the setup man for new closer Edwin Diaz.
Prior to the trade, Familia had served as the main closer for the New York Mets since 2015. In fact, he was one of the best in franchise history, having set the team single season saves record back in 2016.
While he was expected to once again be an anchor in the bullpen, as he was for so many seasons prior, Familia struggled mightily over the first half of the season, with his ERA hitting a staggering 7.81 before landing on the IL in June.
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Since his return, however, Familia has been a much more consistent pitcher for the Mets and appears to have regained some semblance of his old form.
From his activation from the IL in July to now, Familia has pitched 16.1 innings, posting a much more respectable 2.76 ERA, performing at a level much more akin to his previous tenure as a Met.
In fact, for the month of August, he has been one of the most reliable relief pitchers in baseball, logging a 1.64 ERA over 11 innings with 13 strikeouts thus far. His consistency out of the bullpen has been a key factor in the team’s late season run.
Familia’s performance as of late has improved his numbers to the point that his ERA for the season has dropped down to 5.93, nearly two points lower than it was two months ago.
He may have struggled to begin the year, but when Familia is on point, he is one of the most dangerous relievers in the game.
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A good bullpen is a must-have for any contending team, and it looks like Jeurys Familia has gotten hot again just at the right time.