Aaron Loup: The New York Mets secret weapon

The New York Mets have struggled at times this season. Between a myriad of injuries that left them testing the depth to their depth, the Mets find themselves on the outer fringes of the chase for the second Wild Card. What had been a promising 2021 season appears destined to end in disappointment once again.

While most of the Mets roster has been a roller coaster throughout the season, there has been one player who has bucked that trend. Aaron Loup may be a somewhat anonymous middle reliever, but he has been the Mets’ unsung hero this year.

Aaron Loup has done his best to save the New York Mets

Loup has fit the definition of a well traveled middle reliever. He has been a part of five different organizations since the start of the 2018 campaign, bouncing around year by year. When healthy, he has been a solid part of the relief corps of any of those teams.

He has been far more than solid this season. Loup has produced a stellar 1.05 ERA and a 0.910 WHiP over his 51.2 innings, striking out 52 batters with just 13 walks. Although he is never going to be in the mix for saves, Loup has served an important role in this Mets bullpen.

There have been several teams with playoff aspirations that have seen their bullpens implode. The A’s and Phillies, in particular, have been victimized by their relief corps over the past month. While both teams attempted to bolster the bullpen, it has not been enough.

Meanwhile, Loup continues to toil on, doing his part to keep the Mets in playoff contention. As he is slated to be a free agent at the end of the season, his strong performance should result in plenty of teams being interested. He may even find a new home for more than that his typical one year deals.

Aaron Loup has flown under the radar with the New York Mets. However, if they do reach the playoffs, he will be a key factor as to why.