Reese Kaplan -- Fearsome Foursome for 2021 Despite the Others...

One topic that never gets worn out among Mets fans is talking about what you will remember positively from the 2021 false-hope season that for a long time looked as if the Mets were once again post-season bound.  

Now a great many people who follow the Mets rush right out with the major cynicism about all that has gone wrong.  There's no shortage of liabilities here, from player failures, front office failures and management failures.  However, the discourse today is about what went right.

Although he's been gone for about 60 days now, you can't dismiss what has happened without paying proper tribute to Jacob deGrom.  Read his numbers one more time to get a proper appreciation for what he has done.  In just 92 innings pitched he achieve a rating of 5.0 WAR based upon a 7-2 record, a would-be record setting 1.08 ERA which bested what Bob Gibson did over the full season of 1968, and 146 Ks for an average of 14.3 strikeouts per 9 IP while giving up just 1.1 walks.  Combine that with just 40 hits allowed over those 92 innings and deGrom achieved an other worldly WHIP rating of 0.554.  Can you say WOW?

After deGrom it's a steep fall from that cliff into good but not quite eye popping performances.  One of the few hitters worthy of accolades is 1st baseman Pete Alonso.  While he'll never make anyone forget Keith Hernandez's defensive wizardry, you can't deny what he does with the bat.  From his second All Star Home Run Derby championship to his thus far output of 32 HRs, 84 RBIs and a solid .269 batting average, he's earned a WAR score of 3.8.  While it is not necessarily record setting, he's certainly proved his 2019 rookie season was not simply a flash in the pan. 

The third member of the fearsome foursome was not expected to be a key cog when he was signed as a free agent this winter.  Aaron Loup has put together some fantastic seasons as a reliever, including a career ERA of 3.11 as a setup man for 9 years prior to coming to his 5th team when he made the journey to Queens.  This season has been a revelation.  Pitching usually in the 6th or 7th inning, Loup has been in 57 games, sports a WHIP of just 0.904 and sports a 3.85 strikeout to walk ratio.  Being left handed gives him an important role in the bullpen and the Mets have been rewarded with a 5-0 record and a nearly deGrom-like ERA of just 1.11.  Considering he's getting paid less than 1/3 of what Jeurys Familia makes, you really do have to tip your cap to outgoing interim GM Zack Scott who made the press release about the deal just 11 days after the unseemly departure of original GM Jared Porter.  

One of the fantasies of all free-agents-to-be is to reserve their best-ever season for the final year prior to auctioning himself off to the highest bidder.  Well, diminutive starting pitcher Marcus Stroman really is making the club look good for his acquisition when he's leading the league with 30 starts thus far and putting up the kind of numbers he's showing.  The won-lost record isn't what catches your eye at just 9-12, but look a little deeper and you begin to see what the Mets lack of offense does to a pitcher's record.  He has an ERA under 2.90, he's showing a 3.49 K to BB ratio, he's given up less than a hit per inning pitched and has a nice WHIP of 1.149 going into last night's game.  For 2021 he's earning $18.9 million and worth every penny.  Surely as a man turning 31 going into free agency he's going to be seeking at least $25 million per year for 4 or more years.  The Mets should try to keep him, but with all the other holes in their roster it's unlikely they can afford to do so.  

There have been a few other highlights here and there for a few games at a time.  Even some role players like Brandon Drury and Drew Smith had some highlight reel contributions in limited appearances.  I won't dwell on the list of underperformers who comprise pretty much the rest of the roster.  Today let's just toast an appropriate quantity of adult beverage to celebrate this fantastic foursome.