4 NY Mets offseason decisions we didn't expect would look so good by Memorial Day

2) Stealing Griffin Canning off the scrap heap

Griffin Canning wasn't originally slated to be such an essential member of the Mets' pitching staff. There was even a possibility that Canning wouldn't even make the starting five out of spring training. After all, Canning struggled horribly in 2024, pitching to the tune of a 5.19 ERA, 5.26 FIP, and 1.40 WHIP in 171.2 frames with the LA Angels. He had a career-low 17.6% K% while allowing 1.63 home runs per nine innings on average. His 8.9% walk rate was one of his strongest peripherals, and yet it was still below average.

But Canning has been nothing short of shockingly good so far in 2025. In 50 innings of work, Canning has a 2.83 ERA, 4.00 FIP, and 1.32 WHIP. He's seen his K% rebound, now sitting at 22.4%. The right-hander's walk rate has moved in the wrong direction to 10%, but his 1.08 HR/9 is currently a career-best. That's because he's inducing ground balls far more frequently than before. His GB% while with the Angels was just 39.5%. It is now above 50% at 53.5%.

With how poorly Canning did in 2024, we even predicted that Canning would be cut by Memorial Day. Yet here we are, and Canning has a 134 ERA+, and his +1.4 bWAR trails just former rookie standout Kodai Senga, who is in the midst of an outstanding comeback season after missing most of 2024. He's been an absolute steal, as he only signed for $4.25 million.