Mets bullpen depth chart includes 2 arms we trust, a few working their way back into the circle

New York Mets v Washington Nationals
New York Mets v Washington Nationals / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages
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New York Mets fans have a hard time trusting the bullpen. Even with a nice crew of relievers this season, enough games have been blown and recent history doesn’t help calm those nerves.

It’s a common worry for fans of most teams, most years. Relief pitchers just can’t be trusted most of the time. As exceptional as the 2022 Mets are, there are questions about their relievers.

In these final weeks and into the postseason, this is what the Mets bullpen depth chart looks like.

NY Mets relievers we can trust in big spots: Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino

The best way for the Mets to win games is for the starting pitcher to go seven innings and exit with the lead. We saw them do this to perfection when Jacob deGrom recently started against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buck Showalter can call upon Adam Ottavino for the eighth then summon Edwin Diaz for the final three outs.

It might not always work this way. But, for sure, we know Diaz and Ottavino are two relievers we can count on for big outs in high-leverage situations.

To close out the Dodgers series, we even saw Showalter use them in reverse with Diaz asked to get the heart of the order out and Ottavino finishing it off.

Enough trust has been built up with Diaz and Ottavino this year to feel confident about them. A few hiccups before the postseason shouldn’t scare us off too badly. Both veterans who have excelled this season and under a lot of pressure, at least two frames are covered well right now.

NY Mets relievers building back trust: Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Tylor Megill, Drew Smith

The foursome of Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Tylor Megill, and Drew Smith all have potential to be big, impactful arms out of the bullpen for the Mets down the stretch and into the postseason. Each is at a different spot right now.

Lugo continues to occasionally get big inning assignments. The same goes for May who has missed a large portion of the season. With Megill and Smith, each is working their way back from injury. However, with some promising performances this season, we can have a little bit of confidence in each.

Megill’s transition from starters to reliever is something to watch closely. If it’s smooth, he could be a strong multi-inning and late threat much like the way Lugo used to be.

Some might toss Joey Lucchesi into this bunch. Factoring in that he hasn't thrown a major league pitch yet this season, it might be too ambitious right now.

NY Mets relievers here to keep things close: Tommy Hunter, Trevor Williams

Tommy Hunter isn’t quite at the level where we want to see him on the mound for anything other than to keep games close. Trevor Williams is a little bit different. More of a long man than a traditional reliever, how well he’s pitching in relief could determine his actual role with the ball club.

Ideally, Hunter might be someone Showalter calls upon in games that have swung in a major direction to favor one of the teams. If the Mets are out of it or way ahead, he could be someone to turn to. The same goes for Williams but for a few more innings.

NY Mets relievers used for a specialized role: Joely Rodriguez, David Peterson

Joely Rodriguez and David Peterson are two lefties that may not see themselves pitching in the postseason this year for the Mets. Their roles will be a little more specialized if they did make it. Even in the regular season, there are only specific situations when they should enter.

Rodriguez is someone the Mets could carry into the postseason with the lone purpose of getting them out of innings against a big lefty hitter. Tossing more than that could be dangerous. I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve held your breath plenty with him on the mound.

Peterson, if he is in the bullpen at some point, would be less of an inning-to-inning option. He could, though, be used creatively. Imagine a starting lineup stacked with lefty hitters. An early exit from the Mets starter could allow for a change and give New York an advantage with splits or cause the other team to empty their bench.

One would have to think the Mets carry at least one lefty in the postseason bullpen.

NY Mets relievers left off the postseason roster: Mychal Givens, others

Mychal Givens and a lot of the other pitchers we’ve seen regularly this year such as Adonis Medina, Yoan Lopez, and others will be left behind. So will a few of the other previously mentioned pitchers. With the need for fewer starting pitchers in each round of the postseason, the Mets would have to debate whether or not someone like Carlos Carrasco is even worth having around as a bullpen arm.

It’s going to be hard for Givens to earn more trust than some of these other bullpen pieces that have had success with New York this season. Confidence in him is minimal. His spot on the depth chart is right there with those relievers we’ve seen flipping between the majors and Triple-A all season. Expect him to get left behind.

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