3 NY Mets pitchers who were somehow worse under Jeremy Hefner

2) Adrian Houser

Adrian Houser was acquired, alongside outfielder Tyrone Taylor, from the Milwaukee Brewers in a 2023-2024 offseason trade. From his 2019 rookie season up through 2023, the right-hander proved to be a solid middle-rotation arm. He tossed a total of 523.2 IP while putting up a 4.04 ERA, 4.19 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP. He only struck out 19.2% of opponents with a 9.1% BB%, but was very good at limiting home runs and quality contact, with a 0.95 HR/9 and 5.7% barrel rate.

Unfortunately, Houser was not a solid pitcher for the Mets. Seven of his first eight appearances were as a starter, where he posted a horrendous 7.88 ERA, 5.24 FIP, and 1.78 WHIP. While Houser was never a big strikeout or command pitcher, he allowed more free passes (24) than he induced K's (21). His home run suppression was about the only thing that wasn't objectively horrible, with a 0.72 HR/9 and 7.6% barrel rate.

The Mets moved Houser to the pen after that, and while the results were better, they still weren't great. His 3.42 ERA over 31.2 innings may not look bad, but he was far more prone to home runs with a 1.42 HR/9 and 10.4% barrel rate. His 6.2% walk rate was solid, and his 18.6% strikeout percentage was similar to his rate with the Brewers. But the Mets released him in late August. Houser signed contracts with the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles, but would not appear in a Major League game with them.

Meanwhile, Houser has since rebounded, making this look even worse for Hefner. House tossed 125.1 innings this season, while working to a 3.31 ERA, 3.81 FIP, and 1.28 WHIP. He's once again been much less homer-prone with a 0.72 HR/9 and 6.1% barrel rate. He's done that while lowering his walk rate to 7.3% and maintaining a 17.8% K%.