NY Mets: Handing out some 2021 midseason player awards

Just like that, the first half of the 2021 MLB regular season has come and gone. Through 87 games, the New York Mets have survived ten doubleheaders, a ridiculous barrage of injuries, and the worst offense in baseball.

Yet, someway, somehow, the Amazins’ sit atop the National League East entering the All-Star break.

Even with all the obstacles and hurdles still to overcome, it is easy to overlook some of the amazing moments from the first half. After all, that is just life as a Mets fan. That being said, here are the New York Mets 2021 mid-season awards…

Mets Rookie of the Year – SP Tylor Megill

In the off-season, the Mets spent significant resources building depth around the diamond. Except, nobody could have accounted for Joey Lucchesi missing the rest of the year, Peterson struggling, and the still unknown whereabouts of Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard.

Luckily, the Mets found a savior in 2018 8th round pick Tylor Megill.

He may only be four starts into his major league career, but the 6’7” giant has been as consistent as they come. In 18 innings pitched, Megill owns a 3.50 earned run average with 26 strikeouts.

In fact, Megill is the lone Mets pitcher to strike out at least seven batters in three of his four major league games. To put that into perspective, Dick Selma, Nolan Ryan, Bill Pulsipher, Doc Gooden, and Matt Harvey only had two such games each.

In a year where the backend of the rotation has been such a question mark, Megill’s debut could not have come at a better time.

Best Addition – SP Taijuan Walker

During free agency, the Mets needed to add starting pitching. However, it seemed for a stretch the team might land 2020 Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. Instead, he went to the Dodgers, as the Mets eventually turned to Taijuan Walker.

New York brought in Walker on a two-year deal with a player option for 2023. It solidified Walker as a likely starter for his stay at Citi Field, though nobody could have predicted what has happened since.

Walker has been a solid starting pitching throughout his career, though injuries have held him back. Then, in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, he made 11 starts, pitching for a 2.70ERA.

The Mets took a chance on Walker, hoping he could at the very least be the career sub-4.00ERA pitcher he is to fill out the back of the rotation. But Walker had a different plan.

He wanted to have a career year.

In the first half, Walker owns a 7-3 record and a career-best 2.50ERA at the break. He is striking batters out at an 8.9 mark per nine innings and has given up two runs or fewer in 12 of his 16 starts. In other words, it is easy to understand why Walker was selected for the All-Star game.

Without Walker, who knows where the Mets may be entering the break. He has formed a formidable trio at the top of the rotation with Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman, as they have carried the starting staff all season.

The Mets were the lone team to offer Walker a deal this off-season. Had they not taken a chance on the righty, the Mets season outlook would be very different.

Silver Slugger – 1B Pete Alonso

Is it surprising that first baseman Pete Alonso has been the Mets best bat this season? Maybe not. What is surprising though is the reasoning behind it.

Entering the season, the Mets appeared to have one of the best offenses in baseball on paper. That is what happens when Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and J.D. Davis is joined by Francisco Lindor and James McCann.

This is a lineup that was supposed to be bashing balls into the stands, at posting at least for runs per game. Whereas at the halfway point, the team is 25th in OPS, tied 26th in home runs, and dead last in hits and total bases.

The reality is that the Mets offense has been abysmal in the first half. Then again, players like Alonso have been showing signs of life of late.

He may trail Lindor in offensive WAR, but the Polar Bear has been the most productive offensive player throughout the first half. Despite a stint on the injured list, Alonso has clobbered 17 home runs on the year to go with 49 runs batted in on a .250 average.

More importantly, as the lineup has gotten healthy again over the past two weeks, Alonso has begun to bash more and more. Having Alonso’s pop in the lineup back at full strength is huge, especially considering the lack of homers the team has hit this season.

No, the offense has not performed anywhere near the level that it is capable of. But if Alonso continues to be the reliable hitter in the lineup after competing in the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby, he will end up having the best offensive season on the team.

Gold Glove: SS Francisco Lindor

For years, fielding has been the New York Mets biggest enemy. It has easily been the worst part to the team’s game, as they would put themselves in the horrible position of having their pitching needing to strike everyone out because they cannot let the ball get behind them.

That changed this year, as in the first off-season under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets made sure to make defense a priority. They signed catcher James McCann, brought in experienced center fielders like Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr.

Above all, the Mets traded for shortstop Francisco Lindor, a move that has worked wonders in the first half.

Already, the Mets have learned what a difference a two-time Gold Glove defender can make in the field. Not only he leads the team in defensive wins above replacement by double, but he is tied with Brandon Crawford for the highest WAR in the National League.

On the year, Lindor’s 45 double plays are tied fourth in MLB, while his 116 putouts are the most in baseball. Additionally, Lindor’s .981 fielding percentage lands at fifth in the majors too.

Obviously, nobody is perfect, as his six errors have him tied for 13th most among shortstops. Compared to years past though, the Mets will happily take that through 86 games.

Now, nobody is arguing that Lindor has not been a letdown in the first half at the plate. That is what happens when a supposed superstar player is hitting for career-lows in batting average and OPS.

But when considering his defensive ability, if Lindor can continue his upward trend of late at the plate, Mets fans will finally rally behind their new star.