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LuGOAT will be an All-Star
Despite Lugo’s consistent brilliance in 2018 and 2019, he has yet to be selected for an All-Star game. If he gets off to a strong start in 2020, I believe this will change and he will finally be an All-Star. Davey Martinez, manager for the division rival Washington Nationals, is the NL manager for the All-Star team next year, and he knows as well as any opposing skipper how tough Lugo is in close games. This familiarity should help Lugo’s All-Star chances in 2020.
Of course, those chances depend entirely on Lugo’s 2020 season, as well as the 2020 seasons of other top relievers in the NL. Lugo’s competition for this All-Star spot could be a mix of Kirby Yates, Josh Hader, Will Smith, and Kenley Jansen. However, Lugo has slowly been building up respect around the league over the past couple of years.
On a Mets team whose bullpen has massively struggled in recent history, Lugo’s excellence has failed to make much noise league-wide. If the bullpen as a whole improves next year, any success Lugo has should be amplified by the team’s overall triumphs, and his shot at an All-Star selection will surely improve.
The most important thing for Mets fans to worry about in 2020 is the team’s win/loss record, and I’m sure that All-Star selections are low on their list of current concerns. However, the more All-Stars a team has, generally the better that team has been. Lugo having an All-Star worthy season in 2020 will be a huge boost to the Mets’ playoff chances, and will fully establish him as one of the premier relievers in baseball.
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What do you predict for Lugo in 2002?