3 former Mets players who failed miserably in 2022

2) Former NY Mets who failed in 2022: Steven Matz

A 14-win season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 put Matz back on the Mets’ radar as he headed back to free agency. What seemed to be an eventual reunion between Matz and his hometown team, however, quickly turned into a media circus that produced negative feelings between both parties upon Matz signing a four-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fortunately for the Mets, they quickly turned their offseason narrative around with a flurry of moves later that winter, highlighted by the additions of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to the rotation after Matz turned them down. In hindsight, the change in fortune turned out even better as 2022 unfolded.

Matz’ first season with the Cardinals was unfortunately truncated to just 15 games and 10 starts due to knee and shoulder injuries. When he was on the mound, however, he showed the inconsistencies that marred the end of his Mets’ tenure, pitching to a 5.25 ERA across 48 innings.

The positive news for Matz is that he proved to be a solid option out of the bullpen for St. Louis down the stretch, with a 1.69 ERA across five September relief appearances. But overall, it was a disappointing year for the left-hander, leaving more questions than answers for how he projects in his age-32 season and beyond.