The state of the Mets bullpen

To say the New York Mets 2022 off-season has been an exciting one would be an understatement. From the addition of three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to the various new offensive faces in Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha, the Mets are gearing up for a thrilling year. Unless, say, the Mets fail to address their needs in the bullpen.

This past season, the Mets relievers were the reason the team had control over the National League East for months on end. The most consistent part of the team, their bullpen finished ninth in earned run average, marking their best finish since 2016. Prior to 2021, the Mets bullpen spent four straight seasons amongst the bottom half of the league in earned run average.

As the Mets aspire to not only win the NL East crown, but the World Series, the team needs to be able to rely on their bullpen to hold down the fort. Especially when it comes time for the playoffs.

Take a moment and recall the Mets 2015 World Series loss to the Kansas City Royals. New York’s bullpen of Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed, Bartolo Colon, and company were simply outclassed. After all, the deciding run in three of their four losses came at the hands of the bullpen.

When taking all of this into consideration, one thing becomes blatantly clear – a dominant group of relievers can unlock a World Series contender. And in order for the Mets to achieve that, they must further evaluate and build up their bullpen. Otherwise, all of this off-season excitement will amass to nothing more than crazy ticket sales and a long 2022 campaign.