Drew Smith is Holding Mets Bullpen Together
Bumps in the road have proven to be no obstacle for this group, and Dr. Smith is leading the way..
Image credit: Chris Simon
When you think of the New York Mets’ relief corps, in a historical sense, instincts tell you to cringe. After years of watching leads slip away or close games devolve into blowouts, we, as fans, are conditioned to shudder a bit once the bullpen takes over.
A month or so into yet another season, we’re beginning to realize that might not be the case with this group.
Heading into 2022 with some bullpen question marks, a new manager, and a lockout-shortened spring, figuring out the most effective way to employ this group was always going to happen on the fly. And, as expected, there would always be curveballs to navigate through that process.
In another welcome change to this organization’s modus operandi, as issues have arisen, Mets manager Buck Showalter has mostly pushed all of the right buttons to quell them. Wild what experience on the bench can do.
The Mets’ 3.51 bullpen ERA heading into Tuesday’s nightcap — while very much middle-of-the-road, leaguewide — is more than respectable considering the circumstances.
Before hitting the 10-day injured list on Tuesday afternoon, Trevor May hadn’t been his dominant self. Ahead of his torn UCL, Sean Reid-Foley was struggling to find his rhythm.
Adam Ottavino, despite some incredibly nasty stuff, has battled to find consistency at times. Even Seth Lugo is still finding his bearings.
In response, Drew Smith (11.1 IP, 0 ER, 15 K after his two hitless innings in Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Atlanta) and Chasen Shreve (2 ER, 14 K, 2 BB in 9 IP) have stepped up and eased the burden considerably. And, of course, Edwin Díaz has developed into one of the game’s premier closers.
This all helps the engine keep a-runnin’. As we said this week, this strain of next man up is unlike any of the others we’ve encountered watching this team in recent years.
Will guys be picked up every time they falter? Absolutely not. But, so far, the vibes have been immaculate in that regard. And it’s all — well, most of it — led back to Drew Smith.
After his pristine appearance in the opener on Tuesday (New York’s bullpen went four scoreless, FWIW), Smith spoke with reporters regarding his hot start (SNY).
“On to the next one,” he said. “I can’t think about, too much, what’s gone on in the past. As a reliever, you could be up every day and in the game every day so you just gotta reset every time. It’s a good start, you know, but it’s barely May. It’s a long season. Just gotta stay focused and keep going one at a time.”
Yes, indeed. Onward.
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