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2 Mets moving up the depth chart at the break, 2 falling out of favor fast

We've made it to the All Star Break. Which Mets will we see more or less of in the second half?

ByMatthew Franco|
New York Mets v Houston Astros
New York Mets v Houston Astros | Carmen Mandato/GettyImages
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At the midway point of this rough New York Mets season, the team currenlty has more questions than answers. The division race is seemingly already decided, as the Mets horrid June might have dug them into a hole far too deep to climb out of.

Despite this, a strong start to July gave the Mets and their fans some belief back, and continuing that push in the 2nd half of the season could lead to a Wild Card berth. With some important decisions to be made surrounding the trade deadline as well, here are two players the Mets are seemingly trusting more going forward, and two that the coaches seem to have lost trust in.

Grant Hartwig may have pitched himself into an important role for the second half of the season

The rise of Grant Hartwig has been rapid and unpredictable, but the Mets have desperately needed his contributions. An undrafted reliever who was in Single A just a season ago, Hartwig has immediately made his mark on this Mets team and should see that role continue to grow the remainder of the season.

In his 11.1 innings pitched since being called up from the minor leagues, Hartwig has allowed just one run with seven strikeouts. The Mets have used him across a variety of situations, from multi inning relief to stranding inherited runners. He came through in a big way during the Mets recent series against the Padres, getting the team out of a bases loaded jam during a close game.

Of course, this isn't to say that Hartwig is ready to take over late inning work anytime soon. He's still just 25, and with only 11 appearances so far he could still benefit from more experience in situations with less pressure.

Still, it will be hard for Buck Showalter to ignore just how good Hartwig has been so far. A 0.79 ERA is nothing to scoff at, especially considering how bad the rest of the bullpen has been in comparison. In a season with so few bright spots, Grant Hartwig has a chance to become one of the best options in the Mets bullpen to close out the year.

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