Top 3 Mets villains of the 2022 season with room for more

Seattle Mariners v New York Mets
Seattle Mariners v New York Mets / Mike Stobe/GettyImages
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The New York Mets might surprise us later this year when it is revealed that they were the bad guys all along. To fans of 29 other teams, they already feel like this might be the case.

But from a Mets perspective, this is the team in the white trunks while everyone else is wearing black. We have some time left this season but in 2022 three new villains have emerged. The best thing about it is the storyline might carry beyond just this season with a few of them.

1) NY Mets villain: Paul Sewald

Paul Sewald is maybe the most surprising Mets villain. He isn’t going to go down as the next Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, or Mike Scott. The closer for the Seattle Mariners will, however, be remembered exclusively for how much he seems to dislike the Mets for giving up on him so soon.

The Mariners were one of the first teams to make the Mets question their spot in the standings this season. When Sewald and several other former Mets helped take them down, he wasn’t shy about voiding his frustrations about the time he spent in New York—specifically referencing how the team gave up on him.

This caught a lot of people off guard. Sewald wasn’t hated by Mets fans. He was just one of many relief pitchers who regularly failed to get the job done. He was all but forgotten until he returned as a member of the Mariners.

Had Sewald not spoken up, he’d actually have a lot of fans on his side. People would have been questioning whether or not the front office did in fact give up on him too soon. He might even have some leftover fans in New York.

Instead, he enters heel territory. It’s just a shame we won’t get to see more of the feud with him out in Seattle.

2) NY Mets villain: Spencer Strider

This is a big one. Spencer Strider calling the Mets lucky after they beat him will make for a memorable journey for however long he stays with the Atlanta Braves. The rookie starter is going to face the Mets plenty in the coming years. This isn’t a case of Chris Paddack feuding with Pete Alonso and everyone basically ignoring it because he has fallen off while Alonso has continued to thrive. Strider, as a member of the Braves, is potentially the next great villain on their ball club.

You have to love it regardless of which side you fall on. Braves talking trash about the Mets. Mets players beating them on the field. It’s what makes this one of the best rivalries in the game. We just don’t get to experience it that much because usually it’s Atlanta running away from New York. And in the days when the Mets have been at their best recently, the Braves weren’t so good.

Strider’s rise this season comes at a perfect time. He was pushed right into the pennant race to face off against a Mets team that has been superior for the entire season.

Finally, Strider gets extra villain points for his mustache. He gives off Snidely Whiplash vibes.

Teammate Vaughn Grissom is a late entrant who could very well get added to this list.

3) NY Mets villain: Noah Syndergaard

There might not be a better villain this year for the Mets than Noah Syndergaard. He’s a combination of Sewald and Strider. His connection with the team itself already made him a candidate. Add in everything that has happened between him and the Mets this year, he’s a nightmare ex-spouse.

Syndergaard’s villainous ways began by hinting that he’d return to the Mets on the qualifying offer only to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. It was understandable enough. That’s part of the business.

He officially turned heel when he mocked the Mets’ no-hitter. Only a few weeks later, he had his start pushed back against them. Clearly, he was on a path toward becoming a major enemy of the Mets.

Thor climbed the bad guy ladder when he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline. Now back in the National League East and dodging the Mets in another start recently, we might even be able to claim he is the best Mets villain of the season.

Syndergaard was always kind of a baseball bad guy but you wouldn’t realize it if he played for your team. As a member of the Mets, he was brash and bold with his words and sometimes even his actions. We’re seeing the other side of it now, though. On a division rival and saying or doing all of the things to make it clear that he’s more villainous than a returning hero, we can only hope he remains on a team relevant to the Mets beyond 2022 just to keep the battle going.

NEXT STORY: 3 advantages the Mets have over other World Series contenders

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