6 NY Mets players on the Opening Day roster most likely to be gone by May 1

2) Max Kranick

Performing well or not, the Mets are going to need to dump at least one of their relievers from the roster at some point if a six-man rotation is what they have planned. Paul Blackburn’s IL stint to begin the season makes things all the more unpredictable. He was the guy who would have slotted into the rotation until Sean Manaea’s return from the IL. As a result, the Mets will be able to carry a bullpen stacked with true relief pitchers. None, based on spring training performance alone, deserved it more than Max Kranick.

Now a fan favorite, Kranick dazzled this spring with a 1.46 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work. Fully capable of going multiple innings, he’s a guy we should see Carlos Mendoza use for more than 3 outs on a regular basis.

Although he’s riding high into the season, this is someone who has only 43.2 innings of MLB experience. We can’t even judge him on those numbers because all but 5 of those innings came as a starting pitcher when, in 2021, he had a 6.28 ERA.

Kranick could become a roster casualty for a couple of reasons. The need for a sixth starter is one. More immediate could be if the Mets bullpen is overtired and they need a fresh arm. We should fully expect the Mets to take advantage of their plethora of optional relievers. Kranick might be asked to pitch 3 innings only to suffer the consequences of being sent down to Syracuse as a result. Any demotion might not be for long.