New York Mets: 2017 Season Review and Offseason Preview

What Went Right?

Aside from some nice performances by a handful of players who did manage to stay relatively healthy, there wasn’t much to celebrate at Citi Field this season.

Jacob deGrom was the lone pitcher to make at least 30 starts for the Mets this year. In fact, Robert Gsellman was the only other to even go past 20. DeGrom enjoyed another strong season on the mound, posting a 3.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 4.05 K/BB ratio while logging 201.1 innings. He was as close to a rock as the team had all year.

Though his season was cut short by a shoulder injury, third-year outfielder Michael Conforto enjoyed a breakout year at the plate. The 24-year-old slashed .279/.384/.555 (145 OPS+) with 27 home runs and 68 RBI in 109 games. It’s unclear whether his shoulder surgery will cause him to miss the start of 2018, but whenever he does return to the field, it appears the Mets have a budding star on their hands.

Speaking of budding starts, a couple of the organization’s top prospects made their debuts this summer. While shortstop Amed Rosario and first baseman Dominic Smith didn’t quite set the world ablaze in their limited playing time, both infielders are expected to play big roles in the future. Getting some major league experience under their belts this year should pay dividends in 2018.

The Mets also received better-than-expected results from veteran outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, which allowed the team to flip them for prospects after the trade deadline. Reliever Addison Reed also pitched well enough to become an appealing trade chip.

We don’t know if the minor leaguers the Mets acquired for these players will amount to anything in the long run, but in a lost season, being able to deal impending free agents at relatively high points in their value has to be seen as a win.

Next: The Bad