Mets writers offer their best and worst takes of the last year

Justin Sarachik believes in Brandon Nimmo but also has too much trust in a pair of veteran Mets relievers

Next, I turned to Justin Sarachik. Another encyclopedia for Mets knowledge, Sarachik has done a great job with Rising Apple mixing in his takes about past Mets teams and the current squad. Never afraid to share his thoughts on the team with me (sometimes privately), I knew for sure he would have some piping hot takes that hit or missed.

When asked for his best take, Sarachik said, “Brandon Nimmo is a more consistent player than Michael Conforto, injuries haven’t allowed us to see it.”

This one may not have fully come out as good, but I have a tough time disagreeing. Nimmo, when at his best, is hard to keep up with. He might not have the same power production as Conforto or drive in as many runs even if he was inserted into the middle of the order. What Nimmo does well, he does at a high level.

In part because of our own perception, Nimmo feels a lot less streaky than Conforto does. And as Sarachik points out, we just haven’t had enough of a sample size to truly know what the happiest man in baseball can do.

Similarly, Sarachik’s personal worst take about the Mets is one we can’t yet acknowledge as a full truth. He told me, “Jeurys Familia and Dellin Betances just need to be 80% of themselves to be effective and productive for the Mets.”

Sarachik had a lot more trust in this pair than I did. He admits he was wrong by acknowledging what a bad take this might have been. The verdict certainly looks to be in on Betances. His injury after just a single outing in 2021 could be the end of his time with the Mets—a prediction I have.

Familia is a bit tougher to pinpoint. Often deceptive numbers, maybe the horrible 2019 season is now in the past. I don’t think we’ll ever know. Unlike Sarachik, I think Mets management has moved on.