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

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.