3 biggest injury concerns for the Mets heading into the 2022 season

1. Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom

The player with the biggest injury concerns for the 2022 season is without a doubt Jacob deGrom. The Mets ace was on pace to potentially have the best season a pitcher has ever had. He went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 first half starts. He struck out 146 batters in 92 innings pitched. He allowed just 3.9 H/9, 1.1 BB/9, and struck out an absurd 14.3/9. Even while missing half of a season deGrom was an all-star and finished ninth in the National League Cy Young balloting.

In the past, deGrom was a durable pitcher. The only year he missed substantial time was in 2016 when he had an elbow injury that shut him down after 24 starts. Other than that, deGrom was a guy the Mets could rely upon to give them 30+ starts and close to 200 innings a year.

This season saw deGrom deal with a bunch of different issues. He had issues with his side that stemmed from a swing, he had a shoulder issue, an elbow issue, and then the forearm tightness that shut him down for the season.

A lot of the injuries were minor and caused by swinging the bat which is not something he will have to do this season and beyond. However, there is still reason for concern. deGrom consistently hits 100 mph or harder with his fastball. He throws 93 mph sliders easily. He averaged 99.2 mph with his fastball and 91.6 mph with his slider this season. His velocity has risen every year in his career and eventually that'll cause some wear and tear in his arm.

deGrom is the most important player on this Mets team and if he misses serious time, the team will have trouble making the playoffs. It's not surprising that the Mets rotation fell apart after they lost deGrom's consistent six or seven quality innings every outing.

The Mets go as far as Jacob deGrom takes them so if he stays healthy, I expect the Mets to be in postseason contention. If not, they will not make the playoffs.