Final Mets 2021 Report Card
Another disappointing Mets season is in the books (how many times do I have to write that?!). They spent much of the season in first place, but most observant fans knew it was just a smokescreen — they were never that good. And in the end, they finished eight games under .500, in third place in a winnable National League East. The rash of injuries that hit the team is partially to blame, but in the end, they were a poorly constructed team that couldn’t get the timely hit. So without further ado, here is the Mets final 2021 report card:
Jacob deGrom: A++*
7-2, 1.08 ERA, 146 Ks
DeGrom was in the midst of a historic season when he finally broke down, missing the last half of the season (hence the asterisk). What might have been…
Aaron Loup: A
6-0, 0.95 ERA, 57 Ks
One of the rare Alderson signings that worked. In addition to his minuscule ERA, he averaged a strikeout an inning.
Pete Alonso: A-
.262, 37 HRs, 94 RBIs
He hit a bunch of home runs, which is what we expect from him. He had a streaky year — more consistency would be nice. The Home Run Derby victory was a fun bonus.
Marcus Stroman: A-
10-13, 3.02 ERA, 158 Ks
Stroman had a solid season in which he finished eighth in the NL in ERA. Will the Mets re-sign him? They really need to.
Brandon Nimmo: B+
.292, 8 HRs, 28 RBIs
Nimmo missed time with injury, playing only 92 games. But when he was in the lineup, he was the leadoff spark plug he is supposed to be. His defense in center improved as well.
Javier Baez: B
.299, 9 HRS, 22 RBIs (with Mets)
What to do with Baez? He hit very well after coming over at the deadline. He’s an exciting but undisciplined hitter. Then there’s the thumbs down nonsense. Decisions, decisions.
Seth Lugo: B
4-3, 3.50 ERA, 55 Ks, 1 save
Didn’t pitch until June and was his reliable self until a rough September. Still, he is one of the few relievers who doesn’t make you cringe when they enter a game!
Drew Smith: B
3-1, 2.40 ERA, 41 Ks
Smith didn’t pitch after mid-August because of shoulder inflammation. He should be back in 2022.
Jonathan Villar: B
.249, 18 HRs, 42 RBIs
Played far more than anyone thought he would (454 at bats). He was productive, third in the team in homers. He might be back.
Miguel Castro: B-
3-4, 3.45 ERA, 77 Ks
A solid middle reliever, leading the bullpen with 69 appearances. He averaged more than a strikeout an inning.
J.D. Davis: B-
.285, 5 HRs, 23 RBIs
Davis didn’t play very much (only 179 at bats in 73 games). But when he did play, he hit as advertised. The defense is still not great. This is probably an area of upgrade in the offseason.
Jeurys Familia: B-
9-4, 3.94 ERA, 72 Ks, 1 save
Familia had a decent, sort of under-the-radar season. A fine way to end his second stint in Flushing.
Rich Hill: B-
1-4, 3.84 ERA, 59 Ks
Considering Hill is 40 years old, he was fine. Still, this was not the deadline acquisition the rotation needed.
Tylor Megill: B-
4-6, 4.52 ERA, 99 Ks
Started strong, finished weak. Still, not bad for a guy who had three AAA starts under his belt before being called up.
Edwin Diaz: C+
5-6, 3.45 ERA, 89 Ks, 32 saves
The enigma that is Edwin Diaz continues to frustrate Mets fans. He had a good first half, then blew a bunch of games down the stretch.
Trevor May: C+
7-3, 3.59 ERA, 83 Ks, 4 saves
Everybody raved about this signing, and while he wasn’t terrible, he did not pitch up to his contract. Good on social media, though.
Kevin Pillar: C+
.231, 15 HRs, 47 RBIs
His busted nose was inspiring, but otherwise he was just okay. A solid bench player who probably played too much (124 games).
Robert Gsellman: C
0-1, 3.77 ERA, 17 Ks
Is he still on the team? Doesn’t feel like it. He appeared in only 16 games, making a cameo in the final game of the season after being out since June 19 because of a lat strain.
Tomas Nido: C
.222, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs
When your backup catcher seemingly has a better year than your much-heralded free agent signing, that’s a problem.
Taijuan Walker: C
7-11, 4.47 ERA, 146 Ks
A tale of two halves. He was literally an All-Star in the first half with a 2.66 ERA. But then he collapsed, with a 7.13 ERA in the second half. He signed a two-year deal, so he’ll be back.
Joey Lucchesi: D+
1-4, 4.46 ERA, 41 Ks
Was not good at all, but started to turn things around when he got injured in mid-June and missed the rest of the season. He’ll get a chance to redeem himself.
David Peterson: D+
2-6, 5.54 ERA, 69 Ks
After a promising rookie season, Peterson was not good in his sophomore year. And he missed the final three months, first with an oblique strain, then a broken foot.
Michael Conforto: D
.232, 14 HRs, 55 RBIs
Certainly not the season we all envisioned in his walk year. He might still get his monster contract, but not from the Mets. He might have to take the qualifying offer if the Mets make it.
James McCann: D
.232, 10 HRs, 46 RBIs
McCann showed why so many people thought the Mets overpaid him in free agency. He was all right behind the plate, but his hitting was atrocious.
Jeff McNeil: D
.249, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs
Speaking of atrocious, we have McNeill’s season. The man who never struggled at the plate struggled at the plate. Is he still part of the Mets future?
Dominic Smith: D
.244, 11 HRs, 58 RBIs
Which brings us to Smith. Another alleged core player had a terrible season, leading to questions about his future in Flushing, too.
Carlos Carrasco: F
1-5, 6.04 ERA, 50 Ks
We waited until nearly August for Carrasco to make his Mets debut, and when he was simply terrible. He’s on a two-year deal, so hopefully he can get right in 2022.
Francisco Lindor: F
.230, 20 HRs, 63 RBIs
Came on strong at the end, but still, he is not being paid $341 million to have a good few weeks. He was supposed to carry this team, and he did not. So he failed.
Noah Syndergaard: Inc
0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2 Ks
We waited all season for Syndergaard to come back, and then he finally made it back for two innings in the last week of the season. He likely takes the qualifying offer to rebuild his value.
Luis Rojas: D
77-85
He can only be as good as the players he was given, but he made matters worse with many, many headscratching moves. He’s not Alderson’s guy, so he’ll likely be gone.
Sandy Alderson: F
77-85
Even with the predator and DWI GMs he hired, Alderson was always going to make every player decision for this team. And almost all of them failed. He needs to go. Now.
Mug Shots Courtesy Ultimate Mets Database, http://ultimatemets.com/mugshots.php