NY Mets report card grades for the first month of the season

J.D. Davis

J.D. has been one of the consistent bats in the Mets lineup. Davis has a .284/.410/.457 slash line and has been hitting third consistently for the last couple of weeks. Since moving from left field to third base his defense has improved drastically as well. That will be his position for this year and hopefully the future.

Grade: B+

Seth Lugo

The best arm in the Mets bullpen hasn’t been quite as untouchable as he was last season. Lugo has given up two game-winning hits so far, but other than that, has pitched well. Lugo has a 2.61 ERA and 3 saves so far. Solid production. Because of all of the injuries in the starting rotation, Lugo is going to get his shot in the rotation once the Mets can resume play, and for the rest of this season.

Grade: B

Edwin Diaz

Like Cano, Diaz will forever be known as the guy who was traded for Jarred Kelenic. 2019 was a disaster for Diaz but he has fared much better in 2020. While he may not be the dominant force he was in Seattle, Diaz has been respectable this year. Yes, control is still a major issue. But as we saw his last time out in Miami, the stuff is there. He just has to control it. If he does, the sky is the limit. Diaz projects to be the closer with Lugo moving to the rotation, and that’s a big test. In his save opportunities this year he has gone 1/3. However, in his other appearances, he’s been close to unhittable. He has 25 strikeouts to just five walks in 10.2 innings and has allowed only one home run. He’s been much better.

Grade: B

Jeff McNeil

I believe the stats don’t do him justice. McNeil has hit a lot of balls hard that have found gloves. Unfortunate, but that’s baseball. They’ll start falling eventually. McNeil has also been dealing with injuries which he is trying to play through. I think he’s been pretty solid overall. The big issue was his play at third base. But since switching positions with J.D. Davis, he’s done very well in left field, including making a highlight real catch to save a couple of runs which gave him the injury he is currently dealing with. I believe once he’s healthy we’ll see the McNeil we all know and love.

Grade: B

Brad Brach

Like Hughes, Brach was out for the first couple of weeks while dealing with the Coronavirus. Since returning to the Mets, he’s done well. He’s pitched four innings and has allowed one run. Brach is a solid middle relief arm and will get more opportunities with Lugo’s move to the rotation.

Grade: B

Drew Smith

Smith was the unfortunate one who got sent down to the alternate site when Hughes and Brach returned when he definitely didn’t deserve it. Smith pitched well in his seven appearances of the 2020 season allowing two runs in six innings. When the Mets bullpen was really struggling at the beginning of the season, Smith was a bright spot. Now that he’s back in the ‘pen, look for him to be used more often. He’s someone who can help the Mets now and in the future.

Grade: B

Justin Wilson

After an outstanding 2019, Wilson has been pretty solid so far this season. He’s the Mets’ best left-handed reliever and has six holds in his 10 appearances. Wilson’s ERA is inflated due to one bad appearance which occurred on his fourth outing in five days. If you take that one appearance out, Wilson has allowed just one run in 7.2 innings. Overall, he’s been pretty solid but that one bad outing hurts him a little.

Grade: B

Franklyn Kilome

Kilome experienced his first taste of the majors this year and has done an admirable job. He’s been up twice to eat innings and did it well. He’s shown good stuff and has nine strikeouts in seven innings. The big issue is control, but that is often an issue with young arms. He looks to be a solid arm for the Mets in the future, and might get more chances in long relief this year. He even got his first major league save last week in Miami.

Grade: C+

Pete Alonso

It’s been a disappointing sophomore season thus far for the Polar Bear. Alonso has a .247/.375/.441 slash line with just five home runs and 13 RBI. He was struggling so much to the point where he is now batting sixth regularly in the Mets lineup. He’s been chasing pitches and has 31 strikeouts in 93 at-bats which means he’s striking out once in every three at-bats. That’s just unacceptable. Lately, Pete has turned it around a bit and has looked better at the plate. Hopefully, he can continue to improve and get back to being that force in the middle of the Mets lineup that he was last year.

Grade: C

Rick Porcello

Porcello’s Mets career could not have started off worse. He allowed 11 runs in his first six innings as a Met. Since then, he’s pitched pretty well. The Mets have been using a defensive lineup when he pitches and that’s helped since he allows a lot of balls to be put in play. However, it costs the Mets on the offensive side of the ball as they’ve scored just six runs in the three starts they’ve used that lineup. He has struggled against the high-powered Phillies and Braves lineup, but pitched well against the Nationals lineup that is towards the bottom of the National League in runs per game. Those starts against the Nationals have saved his season.

Grade: C-

Jeurys Familia

Familia is nowhere near the pitcher he was back in 2015 and 2016. That is clear. After returning to the Mets last year, he had an awful 2019 season. So far this year, he’s been a little better. The control issues are still very much there as he’s walked eight batters in 11.1 innings. Familia hasn’t pitched in many high leverage spots this year but that might change with Lugo’s move to the rotation. Hopefully he can improve on his control issues but that doesn’t appear likely.

Grade: C-

Dellin Betances

I’ve been disappointed with how Betances has performed in his first season in Queens. The stuff just doesn’t look the same as it was years ago with the Yankees. He had one dominant outing in which he struck out the side but if you take that outing out of the equation, he’s only struck out four batters in eight innings. In his career, he has struck out a whopping 14.5 batters per nine innings. He’s only hitting 94-95 miles per hour on his fastball and just isn’t the same guy. The results haven’t been too bad, he’s allowed all six of his runs in two outings. I feel like in both of those outings you could tell he didn’t have control of the strike zone yet Luis Rojas just left him out there anyway. Walks are always an issue with Betances and they have been this year as well as he’s walked five batters in his nine innings of work but he usually offsets that by striking out a ton of guys. Hopefully, he can regain his dominant form and be the reliable set up guy the Mets need him to be.

Grade: C-

Walker Lockett

Lockett made one start in place of an injured Jacob deGrom and took the loss. He wasn’t horrible, allowing five runs in six innings, three of them on one swing of the bat of J.T. Realmuto. At least he gave the Mets a bit of length. If all goes well, Lockett won’t see many more appearances this year and in the future.

Grade: C-

Robert Gsellman

Gsellman missed the first bit of the season due to injury. Because of all of the injuries to the Mets starting pitchers, Gsellman was moved from the bullpen to the rotation after just one appearance this year. He has made two starts and they haven’t gone particularly well. He was not expected to provide length, so the two inning outings don’t worry me, but he’s allowed four runs in his 3.2 innings as a starter. Gsellman is expected to remain in the rotation for the time being so when he gets more stretched out he has to be more effective than he has been.

Grade: D

Amed Rosario

It has been a very disappointing start of the 2020 season for Rosario. At one point he was the top prospect in the Mets system and was considered to be a future star. He has shown flashes, mainly in the second half last season, but has yet to put it all together. So far this year he has a .213/.213/.338 slash line. Yes, the batting average and on-base percentage are the same. That is because he has yet to draw a single walk. This is very alarming, as Rosario has been chasing pitches more than he ever has. When he was swinging the bat well last year in the second half, he was being more selective and swinging at strikes. I still have faith Rosario can get back to that but he has to start showing that he can do it consistently. With guys like Gimenez and Guillorme playing well, in a shortened 60 game season the Mets cannot afford to keep running this guy out there if he struggles like this. Hopefully, he can get it together.

Grade: D

Michael Wacha

Wacha had a very good first start as a Met pitching five innings allowing one run in a win at Fenway. His two starts after that were not good at all. In those starts he has pitched nine innings and has allowed nine runs in two losses. Wacha wasn’t giving the Mets length when he was pitching and is now on the Injured List. Hopefully when he returns he can be closer to what he was in his first start.

Grade: D

Paul Sewald

His Mets career has not been good and his 2020 has been more of the same. He has allowed runs in three of his five outings including allowing six runs in just 0.2 innings against the Nationals his last time out. If the Mets need an innings eater in a blowout loss he can pitch then be he should be nowhere near a close game.

Grade: D

Corey Oswalt

Oswalt has made two appearances so far, one out of the ‘pen and one as a starter. The one out of the pen was awful, as he got beaten up in the embarrassing Sunday night game against the Braves. The game he started was in place of the injured David Peterson and he didn’t do that badly. He allowed two runs in four innings, getting out of a couple of jams. Like Sewald, Oswalt shouldn’t be on this team and is merely a depth guy.

Grade: D

Wilson Ramos

The Mets backstop has been extremely disappointing in every facet of the game in 2020. He has a .211/.278/.296 slash line with just one home run and five RBI. One of, if not the most clutch Met last year has gone just 2/20 with runners in scoring position. Ramos has just four extra-base hits in 71 at-bats and has just been awful at the plate. Now defensively, it’s been even worse. There was the missed tag in Philadelphia that cost the Mets a win. He has also been awful at getting down and blocking pitches in the dirt, often resorting to his backhand. He doesn’t look like he can play the position anymore and may force Tomas Nido to get more reps behind the plate. Hopefully, he can turn it around, but it’s not looking great. He has a team option after this year which the Mets will certainly not pick up so they don’t have to worry about him after this year.

Grade: F

Steven Matz

Easily my most disappointing Met has been Steven Matz. After all of the injuries in the rotation, Matz was bumped up to the number two starter on opening day. On the second game of the year, Matz pitched very well allowing one run in six innings against the Braves. After that, it’s been a disaster. In the 17 innings he’s pitched since that first start he has allowed 22 runs and is currently sitting with an ERA of 9.00. He has had the same issues this year as he did in the past. He’s allowed nine home runs, most in the league. And what’s even more concerning is he’s continuing to let innings spiral out of control. When something doesn’t go his way, he seems to get angry on the mound and just lose everything. Matz has been so bad to the point where he has been removed from the rotation in favor of Seth Lugo. While I don’t think this was the right decision, I certainly understand it. Hopefully Matz can figure it out in the bullpen and give the Mets something productive.

Grade: F

Billy Hamilton

Forget the fact that he is 1/19 at the plate. Hamilton was not acquired to be a big bat. What he was brought in to do, was to be a threat on the base paths and play a great center field. The reason Hamilton will be getting such an awful grade is because of one game in Philadelphia. He ran the Mets out of the eighth inning in a game they would go on to lose, and that was about as mad as I have been this season. He’s played a solid center field but needs to do more, especially since the Mets gave up their 14th ranked prospect to get him.

Grade: F

Jake Marisnick

Marisnick has appeared in five games this season, all of them as a defensive replacement. He looked fine in center field, but has been on the injured list for most of the season with a left hamstring strain. The Mets traded Blake Taylor for him, and Taylor has been lights out in the Astros bullpen. While that is not his fault, Mets fans are certainly hoping for some production from Marisnick especially if Taylor turns out to be good for Houston.

Grade: N/A

Eduardo Nunez

Nunez has been out for a majority of the year as well, as he only has appeared in two games and has gone 1/2 at the plate. Nunez’s absence has opened the door to more playing time for Guillorme and Gimenez which is a very good thing.

Grade: N/A

Rene Rivera

Like Marisnick and Nunez, Rivera has been out most of the season. He appeared in two games and has gone 1/4 at the plate. Rivera’s absence has opened the door for Nido to get all of the opportunities as the backup catcher, and Nido has done quite well in that role. Rivera might be back in September.

Grade: N/A

Yoenis Cespedes

Cespedes won the opener with a home run and has given the Mets fans a lot of good, and a lot of bad. His Mets career ended with him not showing up to a game in Atlanta, and then later on opting out of the season. Thank you for the memories, Yo!

Grade: N/A

Luis Rojas

Rojas was thrust into the manager’s role after the Carlos Beltran firing and has had his ups and downs. I love that he has learned to hit Nimmo at the top of the order regardless of whether the pitcher is right-handed or left-handed, that guy is an on-base machine. His bullpen management in my opinion has been subpar. I don’t know what made him think that using Edwin Diaz with the bases loaded with his history of bad control was a good idea. For the most part, he’s been an upgrade from Mickey Callaway and has a really hard job navigating through this shortened season.

Grade: C

Brodie Van Wagenen

I don’t know where to begin. He continues to trade assets for one-dimensional center fielders like Billy Hamilton and Jake Marisnick. I still haven’t gotten over the Diaz and Cano trade. He says he wants to win now and, in the future, but it’s hard to do that when all of the prospects are traded in an attempt to win now. Brodie made no effort to get more pitching depth after the Syndergaard and Stroman injuries and the Mets are suffering from that. The rotation that he called the deepest in baseball has been awful. Most of his moves, excusing the J.D. Davis trade, have not worked. When the Mets get new owners, Brodie should be the first to go. Hopefully, he doesn’t trade the prospects he has put on the 60 man roster pool in an attempt to win this year.

Grade: F

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