Tom Brennan - A PAIN IN THE PEN

Tom Brennan - A PAIN IN THE PEN

What does every true fan desire for their favorite team?

Well, many things, like lots of scoring, lots of homers, lots of wins, for sure, but one critical desire is:

GIVE ME A LOCK DOWN BULLPEN!

In 2017 and 2018, the Mets' pen should have been locked up for assault and battery.  Last night's 5 run 6th inning blow up was only the latest pen plotz.

In 2017, the entire pen was 21-28, and in 569 IP (the equivalent of 63 full 9 inning games), the pen had an ERA of 4.82, a 1.49 WHIP, and 86 homers allowed (one every 6 2/3 innings pitched.  

Was it just me, or were most of those surrendered by former Met Hansel Robles - he of the 17 homers in 76 innings while with the Mets in 2017 and 2018 - just kidding, it only seemed he gave up all up all of the Mets' pen's homers.  

29th out of 30 teams in ERA. Ugh.

This year, the pen through 150 games is just as bad: 

24-34, 507 IP, 4.99 ERA, and 80 HRs allowed (one every 6.4 IP).  That 4.97 is the 28th ERA out of 30 teams.  Why not last?  Because 2 teams are worse, do I have to explain everything to you?

Repeat after me: UGH!!

Teams with bullpens ranked 28th or 29th in ERA don't reach the post season, plain and simple.

"Regrets, I've had a few..."

Blown saves?  More than a few.

In 2017, 34 of 54 in saves.  Twenty blown.  To be honest, though, not a terrible % compared to other teams, actually.

In 2018, 36 of 51 in saves, again not all that bad. But not the best, either.

Compare these putrid pens to 2018 Oakland's, with its 3.25 ERA, 40-13 record, and 43 of 56 saves.  

That's vastly better than the Mets' 2018 pen.   

Yeah, but what about the starters?

In 2017, it was a full-on pitching collapse in Mets land, as the starters had a worse ERA than the pen (5.14 for starters, 4.95 for the pen).  Of course, some of the worst pitchers in the pen also messed up some 2017 starts pretty badly too.

In 2018, however, the Mets' starters have the 7th best ERA at a playoff-worthy 3.69 (thank you, Jake), so that 4.99 ERA in the pen has really hurt this Mets team.  

I'd hazard a guess that if you put that Oakland pen with this Mets starting rotation, the Mets would be leading this division right now.

Simply put: A much better pen is needed.  

Delude yourselves if you wish, Mets' decision makers.

But that is the simple truth.  

To win in 2019, I advise two things regarding the pen:

1. FIX IT.

2. REALLY, REALLY FIX IT.

Because we fans could use a little relief.