Mets News: Three biggest surprises of the 2021 season so far

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Apr 13, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Miguel Castro (50) pitches in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

Good or bad, the 2021 New York Mets season has already supplied us with some surprises. Whether you predicted them to win 100 games or fall well short of the postseason, you’ve likely gotten a few things wrong.

A lot will change between now and the time the clock ticks to game 162. Early slumps will be a thing of the past. Hot starts will be forgotten completely.

Through the rainouts, snowouts, and the games the Mets have actually gotten to play as scheduled, these are the biggest surprises of the season so far.

The Mets seem to really trust Miguel Castro in high-leverage situations

I’m not going to get too much into specific players on the early surprises this season. Tomas Nido having a triple is certainly a surprise. Brandon Nimmo dominating every pitcher he faces is also a bit of a shock.

The largest surprise of all is how much the Mets seem to like Miguel Castro. He has delivered well for them so it’s not something we can question all that much.

Castro has been Luis Rojas’ favorite man to turn to in games where the Mets have the lead and it’s time to pull the starter. He has been getting the opportunity to pitch those middle innings when the game is on the line and his early performance warrants more of those frames.

Once a guy with the potential to be non-tendered, Castro has become a vital part of the bullpen. His age paired with his potential help to make him one of the more interesting parts of the entire roster. I’m curious to see how long we look at him favorably. Castro doesn’t have an impressive track record. If he can at least be an above-average arm in the exact role he has with the Mets at the moment, consider me satisfied.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 10: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets in action against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on April 10, 2021 in New York City. The Marlins defeated the Mets 3-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

The Mets have no hesitation to drop a guy in the batting order

The Mets starting lineup isn’t what many of us expected it to be. Despite the winning, they have already shaken things up more than once. Rather than try to let someone figure things out in his designated spot like they seemed to do forever with Robinson Cano in 2019, this Mets management will not waste a moment to “punish” a struggler and “reward” a hot bat.

Michael Conforto has been the guy with the biggest change. Already, he has gone from routinely hitting third to finding himself in the number six spot.

Because the Mets starting lineup is deep, someone with talent is going to hit nearer to the bottom. This isn’t your papa’s starting lineup where the number six through eight hitters are weak. From top to bottom, the Mets have offensive firepower.

Jeff McNeil’s cold spring put him closer to the bottom of the lineup from the start of the season. He’s not hitting at the top of the lineup where he found himself in recent seasons. Brandon Nimmo has locked himself into the leadoff role with Francisco Lindor right behind him. Like Conforto, McNeil has also gotten off to a slower than expected start to the season.

This attention to the lineup is a good thing. A gripe I have had with past Mets teams is how veterans are trotted out every game and in the middle of the order even when they are struggling. This year, they’re looking for solutions in other ways.

Apr 17, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

The Mets starting rotation might be the biggest strength in 2021, not the offense

For years, the Mets starting pitching has been boasted as one of the best in baseball. Before everyone started to get hurt last year, this was once again the case.

Then the season actually started and we were harassed with starts from Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, and a bunch of other underperformers not named Jacob deGrom or David Peterson. The 2020 season was a miserable one for Mets starting pitching. Things are much better in 2021.

The offense has started slow but the starting pitching looks terrific! Even in several of the team’s losses, the Mets starters have kept them in the game. Could we be about to witness one of the great years in Mets’ starting pitcher history?

I’m not surprised at how well the Mets starters have performed. They do have some good names there. By contrast to the offensive shortcomings, the difference is quite major. I predicted something a little more balanced.

Starting pitching is what supposedly wins championships. If indeed true, the ball club in Queens is an early favorite to run through the National League.

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Mama said there will be days where the starting pitchers falter and the offense picks them up. In the marathon of a baseball season, the best attribute of the team will swing from one direction to the other. At least for now, the stock in the starting pitchers is high. Meanwhile, the offense is lurking and waiting to strike.

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