Fatal flaw: Every MLB contender has a weak spot

MLB bullpens are flighty entities, in Queens and elsewhere. Led, when he’s healthy, by Jacob deGrom, the Mets have a justly intimidating rotation. But the five most frequently used starters have only delivered about 405 innings in 2021, less than half the number of innings the Mets have played.

That has put a huge – and so far unsupportable – burden on the bullpen, the team’s potentially fatal flaw.

Statistically, New York’s bullpen has virtually erased all the good things deGrom, Marcus Stroman and the rest of the team’s starters have accomplished. Met starters have accumulated +3.2 Wins Above Average so far. But led by closer Edwin Diaz and primary setup man Jeurys Familia, the Mets pen has allowed -2.9 Wins Above Average. That reduces the sum of the Mets’ pitchers’ contribution to team success to just +0.3 WAA. The pen ranks 22nd in that category among the 30 teams.

Diaz has 22 saves. But he also has a 3-4 record and a 3.98 ERA. Despite their first place standing in the NL East, the Mets are actually underwater in walkoff games in 2021, having won seven but lost eight.

Since it is axiomatic that a team lacking a reliable, stable bullpen cannot survive postseason pressure, Task A for Mets leadership this week is to figure out how to shore up that bullpen situation. The team’s pen cannot be allowed to offset the performance of the starters if New York hopes to celebrate in October.