2 Mets free agents fattening their next contracts in the playoffs, 1 losing cash

Surprisingly amazing Mets starter Jose Quintana can start a tab on the extra guac when he goes out to eat next

If you were ready to launch Jose Quintana off of the Mets roster or at least into the bullpen back in August, you weren’t alone. He seemed to hit a wall. A very up and down pitcher for much of the season, Quintana figured it out in late August and has been one of the game’s best pitchers since. He won’t get paid a massive contract, but a one or two-year deal with a bump in salary for inflation should be in the works.

Two starts into his postseason experience with the Mets, Quintana has yet to allow an earned run. He hasn’t allowed much at all. A strikeout per inning, a .150 batting average against, and a 0.82 WHIP help to highlight the success. 

Quintana doesn’t overpower batters. There’s something crafty about the way he works. While teammates like Manaea, Luis Severino, and most of the members of the bullpen look like every muscle, tendon, and fascia are at work with each pitch, this veteran lefty has relied on his changeup for most of his whiffs. A rate of 36.2% in the regular season to go along with a curveball and slurve both averaging below 80mph, he’s more sniper than machine gun.

The way Quintana has carried over his regular season success late into the postseason has been one of the more helpful events to keep the Mets alive this long. Who would’ve guessed in August this would be a possibility? It’ll be up to him to stop the flow of tears in Game 4.