Mets Depth Chart: 2 players moving up, 2 moving down

The ever-active New York Mets depth chart has featured some recent movement. Although hypothetical as much as it is real, the instant performances of certain players have them, at least in theory, moving up or down from day to day. This year’s Mets insert players into games for situational purposes. However, we have also seen them grow to favor one player over another even when it goes against splits and other analytical ways of thinking.

Entering Sunday’s finale against the Chicago Cubs, we can safely say these two moves are moving up the depth chart and these two others are dropping down.

Jose Iglesias is moving up the depth chart

Jose Iglesias got the start at third base for the Mets on Saturday to give Mark Vientos a breather. The lone middle infielder on the bench, Iglesias is becoming more than a backup. In fact, he probably should be starting.

The .400/.447/.457 slash line through 38 plate appearances is impossible to ignore. We’ve seen enough of him to understand what he injects into each game. There’s a certain energy. A terrific defender already, the impressive bat skills have helped give the Mets a more complete lineup whenever he starts.

Getting the most out of Iglesias would involve playing him as much as possible. He has fit in perfectly with his teammates. The veteran presence and attitude is something they lacked at the start of the year.

Naturally, with Iglesias moving up the depth chart, someone else will need to drop. The one Mets hitter still not doing much hitting at all is the one whose job he could take.

Dedniel Nunez is moving up the depth chart

Everybody’s favorite rookie reliever this season, Dedniel Nunez, has pitched brilliantly. A 2.04 ERA in 17.2 innings across 11 games has been one of the bigger surprises in a bullpen full of them. Only Reed Garrett’s early dominance and the success of Sean Reid-Foley might outmatch what Nunez has accomplished.

We should consider Nunez one of the top dogs out of the bullpen for the Mets. Although he’s no kid at 28-years-old, he is a rookie no less and one who has uplifted the team several times this month alone.

Gutsy 4+ out appearances while racking up strikeouts have been his modus operandi of late. In particular, it was the perfect 2.1 innings he pitched against the Miami Marlins while fanning 5 that stood out. He followed it up with a recent outing against the San Diego Padres with two more shutout innings and a pair of strikeouts.

Nunez is beginning to pitch in bigger situations for the Mets. Although more established big leaguers are in the bullpen to hand the ball off to Edwin Diaz, it’s not preposterous for Carlos Mendoza to begin handing those opportunities to Nunez. Frankly, he has earned every high-leverage situation the Mets can toss his way.

Tylor Megill is moving down the depth chart

Tylor Megill is now the weakest link in the Mets starting rotation. Jose Quintana has pitched well lately which leaves Megill and his minor league options as a viable next step for the Mets to take. He got blasted by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday and now owns a 4.81 ERA on the season. The inability to go deep into games is a killer on his rotation status. As Jose Butto and Christian Scott look up from the minor leagues, it’s hard to justify keeping Megill in the rotation for even another start.

One bad outing against the Cubs doesn’t steal any of the good Megill has accomplished. The man has been a strikeout machine. Blowing batters away with a strikeout rate of 11.5 per 9 and barely allowing any home runs this season, we’ve seen positive signs from Megill as he unleashes his American Spork on the world.

Still, patience has worn thin with Megill. He has made as many starts as Butto but has averaged fewer innings. Scott averaged more innings during his time with the club, too. It’s understandable that the Mets want to manage their innings—Scott in particular. But rather than lose momentum each time Megill takes the mound, they need to start thinking of alternatives for the long haul. David Peterson might be someone to consider doing the same with. He has been unimpressively preventing runs by pitching to contact.