5 players who deserve an A grade for the 2022 season

The New York Mets enjoyed a 101-win regular season with some amazing moments. The Mets pulled off some of the more miraculous victories I've ever seen during the season. Unfortunately, they didn't go nearly as far as anyone hoped in October.

Some players the Mets counted on to produce like Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt faltered down the stretch.

Even with the sour ending, there are players who performed exceptionally well and deserve credit for it.

1) Mets player who deserves an A grade: Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor in my opinion was the Mets MVP. He was the player they were expecting when they traded and extended him prior to the 2021 campaign.

Lindor slashed .270/.339/.449 with 26 home runs and 107 RBI. Lindor played in all but one game and tacked on 16 stolen bases and 98 runs.

Lindor was third in the National League in RBI, seventh in hits, and tenth in runs scored. On top of his outstanding offensive production, he was in the 98th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant. He was without a doubt one of the best players in all of baseball and should be in the top five in the National League MVP balloting.

Lindor was sixth in all of baseball with a 6.8 fWAR. He was just .3 points behind NL MVP favorite Paul Goldschmidt.

The 28 year old seemed to come through in the clutch more than any Met this season. He had a .974 OPS in High Leverage situations.

Lindor showed why he was given the extension he got. The only time he slumped for an extended period of time was after he broke his finger. Once that healed, he bounced back and was as hot as any player in the game for a long stretch.

Lindor will continue to be a key piece of the Mets for years to come.

3) Mets player who deserves an A grade: Edwin Diaz

Edwin Diaz had perhaps the most dominant season I've ever seen from a reliever. It was most definitely the best season I've seen from a Mets reliever.

Whenever Diaz came into a game and the trumpets sounded, I knew it was over. In fact, in every game he appeared in after May 24th, he didn't blow a single save.

When Diaz first got to New York, he quickly got on Mets fans bad sides with a horrendous 2019. He had great seasons in 2020 and 2021, but he still wasn't well liked by a lot of Mets fans.

Diaz was able to somehow turn every Mets fan into a believer and there will be outrage all over social media if he isn't retained this offseason.

Edwin Diaz had a 1.31 ERA and a 0.90 FIP this season. He struck out an absurd 118 batters in 62 innings pitched. That is 17.1 K/9. Just an unfathomable number.

Diaz converted 32 saves in 35 opportunities and added four holds. He was used in some eighth innings against elite hitters in close games. He came through every single time.

Edwin was also used at times when needed for more than three outs, including five outs in the game the Mets won in the postseason.

New York went 51-10 in games he appeared in, and never lost a game when leading after eight.

The Mets have to do everything they can to ensure this man is back in Queens for 2023 and beyond.

4) Mets player who deserves an A grade: Jeff McNeil

There were plenty of Mets fans who wanted New York to trade Jeff McNeil after a lackluster 2021. McNeil never seemed right last season and hit just .251. I expected a bounce back in 2022 but did not expect what ended up being a career year for McNeil.

The 30 year old slashed .326/.382/.454 with nine home runs and 62 RBI. McNeil won the National League batting title, stealing it during the final series of the year from Freddie Freeman. He's the second Met to win the award after Jose Reyes won it in 2011.

McNeil was an all-star for the second time and one of the most valuable Mets. He was not only valuable at the plate, but he was outstanding all year long in the field. McNeil saw time at second base and both corner outfield spots. He excelled at all three posititions.

From August 1st until the end of the regular season, McNeil hit .371 with a .420 OBP and a .925 OPS. He was one of the best hitters in baseball in that stretch where the Mets were trying to win the division. McNeil was one of the few Mets who showed up in the big Atlanta series in September.

Hopefully the Mets can figure out a way to get him locked up long-term.

5) Mets player who deserves an A grade: Starling Marte

The Mets signed Starling Marte this offseason on a four-year $78 million dollar contract. From day one, Marte's impact was felt in every aspect of the game.

His bat to ball skills were on display all season. He slashed .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI. Marte chipped in with 18 stolen bases as well.

The Mets were consistently scoring five runs per game for the first five months of the season but after Marte was hit on the hand and had to miss the rest of the regular season, the offense took a noticeable hit. The Mets were inconsistent offensively down the stretch and losing the all-star had everything to do with that.

Marte provided a spark in the Wild Card round with some hits but it didn't lead to a series victory unfortunately.

Marte was solid defensively as well. He was only in the 27th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant but to me, he looked solid in what was a new position for him in right field. He showed off a very strong arm and used his speed to track down balls other right fielders might not have gotten to.

The Mets made a four year investment into the 34 year old and I'm sure the contract won't age great. However, for Marte to be an all-star and a 3.8 bWAR player, the Mets got their money's worth in year one.

Marte's presence was really felt all season and he was sorely missed down the stretch. It was a great debut season in Flushing for the veteran outfielder.