5 most important players in the Mets vs. Padres Wild Card Series ranked

2) NY Mets vs. SD Padres: Why Jacob deGrom is important

I don’t need to tell you, Mets fan, why Jacob deGrom is so important to this team. Even if he pitched a perfect game the last time he stepped on the mound, the circumstances would be the same. A strong performance from deGrom is essential in the Wild Card Series not only to restore faith from fans in him but also to give the Mets a far more serious shot at success.

It’s in a three-game series where the Mets should have no roadblocks. They were built to easily withstand a shorter series. They have only little room for error. If deGrom does his job, at least one of the other two starters should do theirs.

deGrom was 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 regular season starts which is hardly what we would have expected from him. In 15 starts last year, he had an ERA of 1.08. His walks per nine and strikeouts per nine are exactly the same, however. Should we be concerned? We might want to feel a little timid but remain confident.

1) NY Mets vs. SD Padres: Why Max Scherzer is important

Max Scherzer sneaks in just ahead of deGrom for importance in this series. After all, this is exactly why the Mets signed him. He is supposed to help ease any concerns we may have about deGrom. Far more tested in the playoffs, he absolutely needs to win his start.

There’s no spotlight too big for Scherzer. Already 128.2 innings of playoff pitching experience, he has made regular appearances in the playoffs throughout his career. Last season was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two years before that, he won a championship with the Washington Nationals.

Scherzer will leave everything he can on the field. It’s games like this he was built to win. A dud performance from him and your least favorite negative Mets fan on Twitter will never shut up.