NY Mets depth chart: 2 players moving up, 2 players moving down at the All-Star break

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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.

Brooks Raley has bounced back into becoming a crucial arm in the Mets bullpen

While the rest of the New York Mets had a horrific June, Brooks Raley was able to regain his confidence and become one of the most trusted arms in their bullpen.

After a rough start to the season, Raley has turned it around remarkably since the Spring. Since returning from an IL stint his ERA has dropped from 4.76 to 2.35, including giving up just two runs across the entire month of June.

With no other reliable left handed pitching in the bullpen, Raley's success is crucial to the Mets playoff hopes for the rest of the season. He has already seen his role dramatically increase since April, recording 17 holds and often being called upon for the big outs against left handed batting. With 34 strikeouts so far as well, Raley's drastic improvement has been a positive development to look forward to now that the Mets are finally starting to close the gap in the Wild Card race.

Whether the Mets choose to upgrade their bullpen further at the trade deadline remains to be seen, as the team still appears to be picking a direction to go in for the future. Regardless of what they decide, the Brooks Raley trade has already paid massive dividends, and he will be a focal point in the bullpen throughout the late summer.

Mark Canha has become the odd man out in a crowded Mets outfield

After going into a contract year as the starting left fielder on a World Series contender, Mark Canha certainty couldn't have predicted that he'd be a bench option on a team in free fall.

Mark Canha's struggles this season have coincided with the rest of the teams poor play as well, as he has regressed heavily from his success last year. With a .245 batting average and a much lower walk rate, Canha hasn't been the reliable option that he was throughout 2022. After focusing on hitting for power in the offseason instead of his normal approach, Canha is still on pace for the same amount of home runs as last season.

One of the biggest reasons Canha is moving down the depth chart is of no fault of his own, but rather the improved play of some of his teammates. Tommy Pham has become one of the hottest hitters on the Mets roster, and his improvements have made him a must start option most nights for the Mets. With Pham occupying left field and Starling Marte playing right for his baserunning skills, Canha has suddenly found himself out of a starting job.

The Mets still need to keep Canha around, as his depth and ability to field multiple positions is essential for this team. He has filled in at first base when Pete Alonso needs a day off, and can play both corner outfield positions if Pham or Starling Marte gets injured. Still, his lack of production at the plate has left Mark Canha as the one on the outside looking in at the rest of the Mets outfield.

Drew Smith's struggles this season have greatly diminished his role in the Mets bullpen

With lots of new faces in the Mets bullpen going into 2023, Drew Smith was a familiar sight that Mets fans could put their trust into. Instead, he appears to have lost most of the trust of both the fans and the coaching staff, and might find himself seeing much less work for the rest of the season.

Smith started out the year strong but has struggled since, posting an ERA above 5 during both May and June. While he is still striking out batters at a fantastic rate, his offspeed pitches and inability to get out of tough situations have doomed the Mets on multiple occasions. His role has diminished in July as a result, making just three appearances over the Mets last nine games before the All Star Break.

Like Mark Canha, part of the reason Smith's role is starting to diminish can be attributed to improved play from other members of the Mets. Fellow relievers Brooks Raley, Grant Hartwig and new acquisition Trevor Gott have shined in recent appearances, making them more reliable options than Smith.

Drew Smith has struggled in an increased role in 2023, and the Mets have already shown that they are planning to move away from him in high leverage situations. If the bullpen gets upgraded at the trade deadline and other relievers continue to shine, there might not be much room for Smith on the depth chart in the second half of the season.

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