The New York Mets should be thrilled with their bullpen in 2024, and a strong group of prospects will make it tough for them to make the final cut on the depth chart for all the right reasons.
After suffering a severe knee injury that kept him out of the 2023 season, superstar closer Edwin Diaz is ready to get back on the field and resume his dominant form. Adam Ottavino is going to dominate the eighth inning behind him. However, a sizable field of contenders is vying for a position in the bullpen during spring training.
The last positions in the Mets’ relief lineup are being contested by more than a dozen relievers.
After handing Michael Tonkin the fourth position, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post outlined all of the Mets’ alternatives for the fifth and final relief berth:
“A quick rundown of the possibilities: Austin Adams, Phil Bickford, Shintaro Fujinami, Reed Garrett, Grant Hartwig, Nate Lavender, Yohan Ramirez, Sean Reid-Foley, Yacksel Rios, Chad Smith, Cole Sulser and Josh Walker,” Sanchez listed.
Reid-Foley has struck out the most batters with six through the first two weeks of Spring Training, but Smith has the best ERA of all of them.
What the Mets require most from their bullpen’s supporting guys
In 2024, the Mets depend on their sixth and fifth inning relievers to perform well. They finished tenth in the MLB last year with a 4.49 ERA as a team.
The Mets had an excellent chance to complete the closing group last season thanks to the effective contributions of Bickford and Hartwig, who both helped the team win more games. Less than three weeks remain before the Mets and head coach Carlos Mendoza make a choice ahead of their Opening Day game on March 28 against the Milwaukee Brewers.