3 Mets players not named Jose Iglesias who have been important firecrackers

3) Danny Young

You could make a case for a couple of other firecrackers on the Mets. One flying way under the radar finally beginning to gain some attention is lefty Danny Young. Capable of going long stretches without giving up a run and tossing more than an inning at a time, this smart offseason pickup from the Atlanta Braves is working out incredibly well.

Young is on a hot streak and is now the owner of a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings. Fanning 32 batters along the way as well, he has posted a tremendous 12.3 strikeouts per 9 this season.

Young hasn’t given up a run (earned or otherwise) in 11 consecutive appearances. He got knocked around in three straight appearances at the end of June and has been scorching ever since.

In the post-Jake Diekman era, Young has become the top lefty in the bullpen. He doesn’t throw particularly hard and has relied on sweepers and sinkers to get him this far. Calling him a junkballer isn’t fair, but he’s walking the line of being one. In what might be the changing of the guard for relievers to throw hard for big outs, Young has found himself excelling by fooling hitters rather than burning through them.