Hello everyone. We’re almost there.

Opening Night is just a few hours away (and might be more if the Nationals have to postpone because of COVID concerns, but hell we’ve waited this long, we can wait another day if need be … especially if it’s to hear Alex Rodriguez talk about how he almost owned the team for three and a half hours.) So it’s time for me to figure out who the key players are this season.

I’ve done this in the past, and the results were acceptable, so it’s time to try it again. Now for the purposes of choosing these players, remember that it’s quite obvious that Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz are going to have to be the best versions of themselves for the Mets to be successful. If Francisco Lindor becomes Omar Quintanilla, then the Mets aren’t winning anything. Duh, right? So we’re going to dig a little bit deeper.

Mar 23, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) pitches against the Miami Marlins during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Stroman

Okay, so this one is kinda obvious. Stroman wasn’t around last season, opting out because of COVID concerns. With the rotation beyond deGrom filled with question marks last season, Stroman’s presence brings welcome hope that 2021 won’t be the three month long horror show that the 2020 baseball season was.

That said, I’ve been all in on Stroman this winter, and I think this is the season he puts it all together. Stroman, you see, worked with a company called Codify this past winter. Codify is a company that helps pitchers use tailor their pitching repertoire specifically to the hitters that they’re facing. Look no further than Dan Straily to see that what Codify does works. Straily pitched for the Lotte Giants last season, and during the early days of the pandemic, there was nothing to watch except the KBO, so I know way more about this league than I ever thought I would know.

Straily dominated for Lotte in 2020, going 15-4 with a 2.50 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP, striking out 205 hitters in 194 and 2/3’s innings. Now before you poo-poo this as “well it’s the Korean League”, remember that the KBO is a league whose hitters prioritize contact (seriously, hitters jump in the batters box to make contact), and Straily led the league in K’s not by one or two, but by 20. He was simply dominant, and in his interviews with the ESPN crews all throughout last season, Straily repeatedly mentioned how Codify made a huge difference for him. I actually would have been thrilled if the Mets made a run at Straily for the back end of their rotation this season, but Straily decided to stick with Lotte for the 2021 season.

Stroman’s hard work combined with the work with Codify makes for a very interesting, and potentially huge 2021 as Stroman heads torwards free agency.

Mar 9, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Trevor May (65) delivers a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training game between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor May

Trevor May is a great segue here because he is also a Codify guy. If Codify does for him what it did for Straily, and what it hopefully does for Stroman, then the Mets will be in great shape. Ask anybody what worries them about the Mets this season, it’s the bullpen. Beyond Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo will is recovering from bone spur surgery. Dellin Betances has lost velocity. Jeurys Familia often loses the plate. That’s a lot of dependence on Miguel Castro, Aaron Loup, and Robert Gsellman to get things done. May is the pivot guy here. If he does well, it helps everybody in that bullpen find their sweet spot. If May doesn’t do well, it puts pitchers in positions they won’t be comfortable in.

Mar 28, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets second baseman Luis Guillorme (13) gets the force out of Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro (38) while attempting a double play in the 4th inning of the spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

J.D. Davis/Luis Guillorme

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