3) Dedniel Nunez
If you predicted Dedniel Nunez would become a fan favorite in 2024, congratulations. You have a superpower. Not even considered a top Mets prospect or a guy many necessarily expected to see this much action in the first half of 2024 (if at all), Nunez has dug his heels in as one of the more important relievers we’ve seen this season. Able to go multiple frames at a time, he’s a stellar young man who should very much be in consideration for a role in next year’s bullpen as well as the remainder of 2024.
Nunez has now appeared in 11 games for the Mets and posted a 2.04 ERA in those 17.2 innings. He owns a 0.74 WHIP and a .161 batting average against. Oh, and he has struck out 26 batters while walking just 3.
The Mets haven’t had a reliever quite like Nunez in a while. Homegrown with a brief pit stop as a member of the San Francisco Giants organization when they took him in the Rule 5 Draft, he only returned to the Mets because of an injury. Thought of by many as just another longtime Mets minor league pitcher buried behind the restocked list of top prospects, he has defied everyone’s expectations this year.
Nunez is already an absolute for next year’s Mets roster. Building the bullpen from within is a must. We’ve seen how having non-optional veterans has been a struggle at times this year. More importantly, we want some consistency from the relief corps for more than just a season or two. Nunez is a candidate to bring this to the Mets going forward.