Reese Kaplan -- Mets Players and Possible Awards

With all of the discussion whether or not Jacob deGrom will win the Cy Young Award this season for his masterful performance despite a .500 record, there are other players worthy of some actual and some fanciful awards that should be considered.

Comeback Player of the Year

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of deGrom’s virtuosity is the fact that Zack Wheeler has actually pitched equally well for the past 5-6 weeks.  Tom Brennan suggested that he should certainly warrant consideration for Comeback Player of the Year.  Back in 2014 he had made a full season’s worth of 32 starts, finishing with an 11-11 record on a losing team, but with a highly respectable 3.42 ERA.  As we all know, he managed to miss all of 2015’s World Series year, all of 2016 and was shut down in 2017, compiling just 17 starts and a rather ugly 3-7 record with a Pelfrey-like 5.21 ERA.  Consequently, his current 10-7 record through 27 starts with a 3.39 ERA does indeed merit this honor.  Not only has he bested the numbers from his solid 2014 campaign, but he’s also improved in WHIP and K:BB ratio, too.

Rookie of the Year

Some people (beyond Tom) think Jeff McNeil deserves consideration for Rookie of the Year.  While you can’t help but smile to uncharacteristically have a newcomer hit the ground running, the club is guilty of too little too late.  Granted, he was held back until age 26, even when Todd Frazier was on the DL, but better late than never.  Thus far he’s providing a .321 batting average to go with 2 HRs and 12 RBIs with an OPS of .848 and a slugging percentage of .463.  Those numbers make for a great start, for sure, but he’s not been there long enough to unseat Ronald Acuna, Jr. of the Braves who along with his .285 average has 24 HRs and slugging of .562 and OPS of .918.  (And he’s doing that at the tender age of 20.  Imagine that – a team that promotes its young players!)  The even younger Juan Soto of the Nationals is hitting .300 with 16 HRs, a slugging percentage of .510 and an OPS of .929.  McNeil’s a great story, but at best he’s a distant third.

Now we have some unofficial awards to consider that several Mets players may qualify to receive.  Let’s start with:

Anthony Young Memorial Trophy

For those of you not old enough to remember, the late Anthony Young wasn’t a bad pitcher but he had the dubious distinction of owning a 27-game losing record as a pitcher for the Mets.  He finished his brief career at age 30 with a 3.89 ERA which would land him into the starting rotation of any team in MLB, yet his record was an ugly 15-48, a winning percentage of just .238.  The Mets own nominee for this award would be reliever Paul Sewald who is currently sporting a 5.03 ERA which is not very good.  What’s even more alarming (and eye popping) which qualifies him for award consideration is his career record of 0-16.  That’s right…he has yet to win a major league game.   

The Toddy Award

Broadway has its Tony Awards for live acting performances.  TV has the Emmy Awards.  Motion pictures have the Academy Awards.  However, baseball needs to institute a new Toddy Award for best acting performance on a baseball field.  Todd Frazier’s well publicized bait & switch of a rubber souvenir ball for the real one he claimed to have caught has become the stuff of legends.  His only regret was not tossing the toy to Jacob deGrom to see his reaction. 

The “Let’s Play Two” Ernie Banks Memorial Award

With a smile that lights up the whole stadium and a sprint even during home run trots, Brandon Nimmo has reenergized a jaded fanbase with his enthusiasm for the game and the success he’s found now that he’s gotten the opportunity to play.

The Michael Jackson Memorial King of Pop Award

In this case, the “pop” in the title is not the type of music but the run production created by the bat of Mets nominee Wilmer Flores.  When given the chance to play, he has demonstrated time and again he is a force in the middle of the lineup.  Unfortunately, like the singer, he too wears a glove on one hand for no discernible reason.

The Aerosmith Dude Looks Like a Lady Award

Now that Jacob deGrom has shorn his locks in an apparent reverse Samson legend which gave him more strength to pitch even more effectively, this one remains a toss-up between starter Noah “Thor” Syndergaard and reliever Robert Gsellman. 

Best Use of Blackmail Photos Award

At this point, it’s the only possible explanation for the continued employment of Jose Reyes.  Take, 

for example, poor Luis Guillorme who finished the year hitting .299 while Reyes will need to rally to reach .199.  We’ve speculated that they are waiting for he and David Wright to have a joint moment in the sun in an otherwise dreary season for a one-game reunion, but it’s equally possible the former batting champion has compromising photos of someone in the hierarchy which ensures his ongoing employment (and perhaps return engagement for 2019).