2015 Mets were loaded with rookies and sophomores who helped big time

The 2015 New York Mets made it to the World Series thanks in large part to the performances by multiple rookies and sophomores.

The 2015 New York Mets have a special place in many fans’ hearts. It’s the most recent team to land in the World Series after a bumpy ride through the regular season.

We know the heroes from the campaign. Yoenis Cespedes came in as the cavalry midseason. Daniel Murphy lit up the postseason. Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey led the starting rotation.

The 2015 season was also a special one because of the many rookies and sophomores who came up big. deGrom included, it was a year where first and second-year players shined.

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After winning the Rookie of the Year in 2014, deGrom delivered a 14-8 record and 2.54 ERA for the 2015 Mets. While in a rotation headlined by Harvey, he jumped ahead of the Dark Knight for the best overall season. He led the starters in ERA and tied Bartolo Colon for the most wins.

Later in the year, deGrom was joined by two other rookie starters. Noah Syndergaard made 24 starts and quickly became a fan-favorite. His 9-7 record and 3.24 ERA was impressive. His 10 strikeouts per nine gave him a reputation he has maintained years later.

If that wasn’t enough rookie and sophomore firepower, 2015 also included those six strong starts from Steven Matz. Though not his official rookie season because of the limited action, the then 24-year-old southpaw went 4-0 and finished with a 2.27 ERA.

A little less notable, Rule 5 Draft pick Sean Gilmartin made his big league debut for the Mets in 2015. In 50 games pitched out of the bullpen, the rookie reliever went 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA. In many ways, he was one of the team’s unsung heroes of the year.

Adding to the sophomore class, the 2015 season was also the second full season for Travis d’Arnaud and Jeurys Familia. Kevin Plawecki also joined the group as a rookie this same season. The year was a productive one for d’Arnaud and Familia, with Plawecki at least supplying them with an alternative option at catcher.

An additional noteworthy contributor who fits the description, the 2015 season was Wilmer Flores’ second full year in the big leagues. Though he debuted in 2013, he only received 95 at-bats. In 2015, he was a major contributor. In fact, it’ the only year he ever received more than 430 plate appearances. He worked as the team’s everyday shortstop, delivering a decent slash line of .263/.295/.408 with 16 home runs, one of which included a memorable walk-off one in late July.

The year was supposed to be just the beginning what had the potential to become several trips to the World Series. A young, talented core in place made it possible.

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Sadly, many of the veterans on this team who played an important role moved on shortly after. Not all of the rookies or sophomores continued to get better. The timing happened to be right in 2015 with a solid mix of veterans and newcomers all coming together for a memorable year.