There was only one real surprise among the players the Mets elected to open the season with on their 26-man roster. I was somewhat startled to see pitcher Robert Gsellman make the cut. He has a Minor League option left and hasn't pitched all that well this spring. In 8 IP, he's allowed 14 hits, 2 walks, and a pair of home runs. I'd rather see Jeurys Familia or Dellin Betances pitching in a game where the Mets have even a chance to win, which makes Gsellman literally the only pitcher on the staff I trust less than those two guys right now.
On the other hand, Gsellman is the one pitcher on the 26-man roster who seems certain to be sent down at some point if a fresh arm is needed. Certainly, the Mets may decide they want another lefty in the 'pen, with Stephen Tarpley, Daniel Zamora, or Jerry Blevins possibly getting the call. Then again, if any of that trio looked good this spring, they'd be on the Opening Day roster over Gsellman. In 16.2 combined innings, they allowed 10 walks. With no Minor League games until May, it's going to be difficult for these gentlemen to prove they can throw the ball over the plate in real game action. As nice as it would be to have that second lefthander, it's useless if they can't come into a game throwing strikes.
Everyone else on the 26-man was a player we expected to be there. In my post yesterday, I singled out Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis as two players who really need to show that they can produce enough offensively to justify being everyday players. Given the direction that the club seems to be headed, they have to do it over the first couple of months. I like both players a lot. I hope they do earn full-time roles. Both of them had rough springs, though, with Davis' anemic .216/.420/.297 line still outpacing McNeil's pathetic .109/.255/.239 slash numbers. I understand that spring numbers don't mean anything, but I would have liked to have seen both of these guys showing a bit more than they did.
Barring injuries or catastrophic underperformance, I don't believe any other position player is in any danger of losing playing time. Jonathan Villar had some injury issues and didn't hit much, but he and Luis Guillorme will be backing up all the infield positions.
I believe this can be a really pivotal year for Guillorme. He's likely to earn playing time as a defensive replacement. If McNeil or Davis falters with the bat and Luis can continue the offensive improvement he showed last season, Guillorme can earn a chunk of playing time. Even if things go well for the other two, Luis Guillorme could still become a valuable part-time player.
Guillorme had a fine 2020 and a great spring training - why not a strong 2021 too?
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