MLB: Three most improved teams heading into 2021
By Nick Stevens
The New York Mets could be MLB’s hottest team of 2021.
Perhaps no MLB team has taken a bigger step this winter than the New York Mets. Steve Cohen, Sandy Alderson, and company were one of the first to really dive into the free agent market, inking one of the top relief arms on the market in Trevor May to a two-year deal worth $15 million.
May struck out just a tick under 40% of hitters he faced last season and owns a career 27% strikeout rate with a 3.66 FIP and a 4.9 fWAR across his six-year career with the Minnesota Twins. He joins a solid bullpen, anchored by Edwin Diaz, which isn’t done being constructed yet as New York remains in the market for a left-handed arm (and Brad Hand still available).
But the big move so far was the addition of four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winning shortstop Francisco Lindor. Michael Conforto is a really good player, Brandon Nimmo is fun to watch, and Pete Alonso has shown he can be one of the biggest power threats in all of baseball, but Lindor is the type of impact player who will inject a new type of energy into Citi Field and kick off the Steve Cohen era in a positive way.
Oh yeah, Carlos Carrasco, who struck out 29% of hitters and recorded a 2.91 ERA and 1.5 fWAR in 12 starts last season, joins a rotation with Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman, while newly acquired catcher James McCann leads this impressive pitching staff from behind the plate.
The New York Mets have won the 2020-2021 MLB offseason up this point, and they may not be done yet.