NY Mets can unlock Adbert Alzolay by doing the one thing Cubs never did

Some pitchers arrive with a mystery to solve, and some arrive with instructions already printed on the box. Adbert Alzolay might be the latter, even if the New York Mets are hoping to discover a few bonus features the Cubs never bothered to unwrap. He’s the kind of arm that sparks imagination; the kind you can picture thriving once someone finally decides to use the on-switch the right way.

Chicago kept changing Alzolay’s role, first as a starter with many options, then as a reliever for any situation. His strengths got lost in mismatched scenarios. If the Mets focus on his strengths, especially what suits him best, they can reveal the pitcher who stands out.

The Mets gain an edge if they lean into his strength against right-handed hitters

Tommy John surgery cut Alzolay’s 2024 season to 17.1 innings, which means the Mets are playing the long game with their two-year deal. They signed him knowing 2025 would be a rehab year, but also believing a healthier version of his 2023 form is worth the wait. Injuries kept interrupting his momentum, as he missed almost all of 2022 and most of 2024 before he ever had a chance to settle into a defined role.

Chicago also wavered on what role fit him best. In 2021, they asked him to handle full lineups and ran straight into the split that defined his year. Right-handed hitters managed only a .206 average and a .556 OPS. Left-handed hitters hit .269 with a .924 OPS. He still logged 125.2 innings with a 4.58 ERA and a 92 ERA+, but the imbalance was impossible to miss. The Cubs eventually moved him to relief, which suited him better, though they never fully leaned into treating him as a right-handed specialist.

Relief work told the story the Mets noticed. In 2023, he posted a 2.67 ERA over 64 innings, with an ERA+ of 160. He relied heavily on his slider and sinker, throwing them 66.7 percent of the time and holding hitters under .200. Righties hit .199 with a .272 slugging percentage. Lefties hit .263 with a .725 OPS. The pattern was clear enough that his usage should have followed it.

Yet, entering 2024, the Cubs still used him in nearly an even split against both sides. That is the bullpen equivalent of buying a sports car and only driving it through school zones. The potential was there. The usage never matched.

This is where the Mets step in. They do not need to reinvent him. They simply need to use him where he thrives, let him attack right-handed hitters, and trust the sinker-slider mix that made him a weapon in 2023. Follow that plan, and the version of Alzolay they imagined may finally show up exactly as advertised.