5 best player additions to this year's ball club ranked

Billy Eppler has gotten a lot of criticism for his activity at the trade deadline. The New York Mets did not acquire a big name, instead, they went with a similar approach that the 2021 World Champion Braves went, in acquiring role players who can contribute in a big way.

Guys like Daniel Vogelbach and Mychal Givens have had their ups and downs but have been solid contributors for the most part overall while some of the names the Mets were interested in have struggled with their new teams.

Where Eppler really made his mark was this offseason. Eppler with the help of Steve Cohen turned the Mets from a team that collapsed in the second half of last season into a team that will likely win over 100 games and has a legitimate shot at winning their first World Series title since 1986.

The Mets have been in first place for most of the season and it is thanks in large part to some new acquisitions. This list was so hard to make and saw someone like Eduardo Escobar who has arguably been the Mets best hitter down the stretch and one of the key leaders in the clubhouse was omitted.

5. Best NY Mets player additions ranked: Mark Canha

While Billy Eppler did have a lot of money to play with, he made some outstanding decisions in terms of who to sign. Some big money outfielders like Kris Bryant and Nicholas Castellanos have really struggled with their new teams.

The Mets signed Mark Canha to a two-year $26.5 million dollar deal this offseason, while Bryant and Castellanos both signed for $100+ million dollars. Canha has been a 2.8 fWAR player while Castellanos and Bryant have combined for -0.1 fWAR.

The Canha signing came with some risk, as he was 33 years old at the time of signing the deal and had a pretty extensive injury history. The veteran outfielder was also coming off of a down season and really struggled in the second half while playing through a hip injury.

I liked the Canha signing and hoped he'd perform well enough to be around a three-win player. Canha has been exactly that, and that's proven to be very useful for this team.

The Mets have been extra cautious with Canha, giving him plenty of off-days. While it got annoying at times, I believe it's helped him stay fresh and healthy the entire season.

Canha has a 130 WRC+ and ranks fifth in the National League with a .371 OBP. While I wish he'd hit more than 12 home runs as a guy who has hit as many as 26 home runs in a season, he's been such a consistent piece for this team.

Canha can hit anywhere in the lineup and always gives productive at-bats. Nimmo and Canha both set the tone as guys who take a ton of pitches and force pitchers to work extra hard to record outs against this Mets team. Canha seems to be an awesome clubhouse presence and has turned into a fan favorite in Flushing.

3. Best NY Mets player additions ranked: Starling Marte

Starling Marte has probably been the most consistent bat in what's turned out to be a good Mets lineup. While guys like Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have better overall numbers, both stars have had prolonged slumps. It feels like Marte always gets his hits no matter what.

Marte was an all-star this season and has slashed .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI. He's tacked on 18 stolen bases and has looked very comfortable in his new position of right field.

While it feels like certain Mets have a specialty, Marte is as complete of a player that the Mets have. Marte has a hit tool that rivals Jeff McNeil's. He's the best base stealer on the roster even with his subpar year on the basepaths this season.

Marte also has some power, as he's fourth on the club in home runs. He has the strongest arm in the outfield, and is a really solid right fielder as he can track balls down with his speed.

If Marte does not return for the beginning of the playoffs, the Mets path to winning a round becomes much harder. He's a guy they can always rely on to set the table for their big bats and he just does so much for this ballclub.

2. Best NY Mets player additions ranked: Chris Bassitt

The Mets starting rotation has gone through another year of constant injuries. Jacob deGrom missed the first four months of the season. Max Scherzer has had two stints on the injured list and has only made 22 starts this season. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker have missed starts as well.

Taking a stint on the COVID list out, Chris Bassitt has taken the ball every fifth day and has been as consistent of a pitcher as there is in baseball this season.

After an inconsistent beginning to his time in Queens, Bassitt has really turned it on since June 14. In that 17-start span, Bassitt has posted a 2.52 ERA and the Mets have gone 13-4 in his starts.

Overall, Bassitt has gone 15-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 29 starts. He's gone six or more innings 23 times (plus two starts going 5.2 innings) and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but six of his starts.

Bassitt has been as consistent as they come and takes the ball every fifth day when eligible. I have no idea where this team would be without him with all of the pitching injuries they've had to deal with.

Bassitt matches up very well with just about any third starter in baseball and is one of the reasons I feel so confident that this team has what it takes to win.

1. Best NY Mets player additions ranked: Max Scherzer

I don't care that he's missed substantial time, Max Scherzer is undoubtedly the best addition to this team.

The 38 year old has gone 11-4 with a 2.18 ERA in his 22 starts for the Mets. He's struck out 10.9/9 while walking just 1.5/9. Most notably, he's allowed just 11 home runs in 139/2 innings pitched. The home run ball had always been the one "flaw" in Scherzer's game but he's done a great job at preventing the long ball this season.

The Scherzer signing I believe made this team a legitimate contender. He brought his three Cy Young Awards to Flushing to create one of the more dominant tops of a rotation we've ever seen alongside Jacob deGrom.

Scherzer brought a World Series title, and arguably most importantly, a leader who clearly helped change the culture for this team.

As much as I want to say the Mets offense is capable of making a deep playoff run, this team really goes as far as Scherzer and deGrom will take them.

The Mets don't have the offensive firepower that teams like the Braves and Dodgers have. They will win if they pitch well. Scherzer is at the forefront of this Mets pitching staff that has been elite all season long.