Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Mets

 

So typically what happens is throughout the year I get a nice amount of chances to showcase the best players from a team, and then I have more time during the playoffs to celebrate individual game-by-game achievement, and then by the time December rolls around there isn't a ton left for me to do. Well...the Mets were the victim of a year I was busy more than usual on weekdays, then missed the playoffs despite an army of great performers, leaving me with THIRTEEN Uncustomed Heroes subject. And like, that's not even counting some borderline ones I could have done, like Tyrone Taylor or Luisangel Acuna. There were a lot of standout performers for this team, important presences. Good AND bad. 

Because ultimately, the story of the Mets is a story of a team that went for it and failed. They got Juan Soto, they got Clay Holmes, they firmed up their pitching, they went all in at the deadline, they still fell apart in the final two months. With a better team than the one that made an NLCS in 2024, they couldn't get it done. And now they traded Brandon Nimmo, they've lost Edwin Diaz, and now they've lost Pete Alonso. This is not what they wanted, and though this team will still compete, the wind's been taken out of their sails once more.

Clay Holmes, notoriously, was one of two signings deliberately trying to get back at the Yankees. The end of Holmes' Yankee tenure didn't go well, and his agent was selling him as a starter to teams. The Mets bit, signed him to a nice deal, and Holmes got to start. He thankfully stayed healthy all season and made 31 starts, going 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA and 129 Ks. As a statement, this worked well enough without being a full Seth Lugo or Michael King statement. He was very helpful for this team, and he's sticking around.

2026 Prediction: Less starts, but lower ERA.

Jeff McNeil confounds me. Because he got a later start than most players, his breakout was, in actuality, him hitting his peak. So everything else, in the period other players should hit their peak, has consisted of McNeil just sort of paddling away. McNeil's age-27 and age-30 seasons were excellent, and now he's 33, his defense isn't as good, and he's just an above-average hitter with some scrapes. This year he hit .243 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 122 games. Not to 2022 levels of dominance.

2026 Prediction: This will be the last year of his contract. So a slight improvement. But he might take more reps at DH, especially considering that there's a much more reliable guy at 2nd now.

Especially considering the usual primary DH, Starling Marte, will be gone next year. Marte has been at this for 14 years, and though in the first year of his Mets contract he showed no signs of slowing down, the other three years weren't to his usual standard. This year, Marte, in 98 games, hit .270 with 9 homers and 36 RBIs. He's beat up, he's 36, and he's not what he used to be.

2026 Prediction: Now...he SHOULD retire...but I think he's gonna try one more year, without his speed and most of his power, as a DH/bench guy with a competitor. 

Once again, Francisco Alvarez continues to be one of the most curiously inconsistent presences on the Mets. Cause when he's on, and healthy, the Mets are great, but the moments around that are painful. In April he was godawful, even while the Mets soared. Then in May when he got better, the Mets tanked. In August, Alvy hit .341 with 11 RBIs and 3 homers. It wasn't enough. Alvarez finished the season with a .256 average, 12 homers and 32 RBIs spread over 76 games. It was a small sample size, but at the very least the offense was worth it.

2026 Prediction: Full season, the wisdom teeth are out, the real fun begins. 30+ homers.

Among the many pitching moves the Mets made in the offseason was snagging Griffin Canning, the oft-injured young fireballer, from the Angels. True to form, Canning was very solid in 16 starts, going 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA and 70 Ks. Then, as he's prone to, he got hurt and missed the rest of the season.

2026 Prediction: Not sure when he'll be back, but I think he'll be a surprise stretch favorite for a playoff hopeful.

Mark Vientos had a huge breakout 2024, and in 2025 he did not even remotely live up to it. Despite 17 homers and 61 RBIs, Vientos hit .233 this year in 122 games, and just could not stay consistent. Plus, his defense was godawful this year. Eventually he lost the everyday 3B job to Brent Baty, meaning for 2026 the position is very much up in the air.

2026 Prediction: Well, uh, a funny thing happened to the non-negotiable at 1st. Though it'd be really funny to sign Dominic Smith to play there, it's looking like Vientos will be moved over so they can get his bat in the lineup. I think they may still bring on a cheap 1B option as a backup, but Vientos will return to 2024 style production and keep the job.

Also failing to live up to a wonderful 2024 was Sean Manaea, signed on the basis that there would be more where that came from. He got hurt in camp, was still recovering upon his return, and was moved to the bullpen to make room for the rookies. He finished the season with a 5.64 ERA, a 2-4 record and 75 Ks in 15 games.

2026 Prediction: Nobody rush him and he will be fine. With the pressure off he'll have another great year, behind Peterson and McLean. Making him the center of the rotation was a mistake.

With all of Alvy's inconsistencies and injuries, the primary catcher in Queens this year was actually none other than former Yankee farmhand and former Mariners bench wiz Luis Torrens. Torrens' main takeaway is his defense, and it was enough to get him nominated for a gold glove this year [which he'd lose to Patrick Bailey]. His bat isn't terrible, he still had some decent contact moments, but the Mets valued his work behind the plate this year, and even still it's an improvement over Alvarez. 

2026 Prediction: Back to being a backup, but not without some cool moments. The Mets are gonna try to start him at catcher so they can DH Alvy as often as possible.

At the deadline, the Mets pulled the then-huge move of landing Cedric Mullins from Baltimore. Mullins was having a shakier than usual season, mired with inconsistency, but his heights were always worth it. Upon arriving in Queens, Mullins had some excellent moments in centerfield, but struggled at the plate, hitting .182 with 10 RBIs and 2 homers in 42 games.

2026 Prediction: You can tell by the fact that the Rays only gave him a one-year deal that they're not exactly hoping for big things. OR, more likely, they know he's gonna bounce back and they can deal him for prospects at the deadline. 

Speaking of the O's, they recently landed Ryan Helsley, who'll be returning to small-market, southern-ish teams. I think he needs it, honestly. The Mets needed relief help, and grabbed him from the Cardinals to set up Edwin Diaz, and even close. Helsley completely fell apart in New York, posting a 7.20 ERA and a -0.9 WAR in 22 games, giving up 16 earned runs and, crucially, notching zero saves. He had a self-deprecating sense of humor about himself, but clearly this was not his best material, and it was one of many factors that led to the Mets missing the playoffs.

2026 Prediction: Hilariously, the Mets were the problem. Helsley chases 40 saves and gets the O's to the playoffs. 

Tyler Rogers, a sidearmer who'd been a highlight in San Francisco, was also brought on to aid the Mets' bullpen woes. He fared better than Helsley, posting a 2.30 ERA in 27 innings. Not quite as dominant as his 2025 Giants numbers, but his cumulative ERA is still under 2, so that's good.

2026 Prediction: I was thinking he'd go for a marginal competitor, but the Jays came calling. Will lead the pen in IP and deliver his usual strong material.

And then, with all else failing, the Mets brought in the rookie starters. Nolan McLean was immediately ready for the show, and Jonah Tong seemed to show promise in his first couple starts. Tong is also a prized Mets prospect, and was dubbed 'the Canadian Cannon' in college. Mets fans quickly saw why, as he was capable of ferocious outings, like shutting down the Padres in September. However, he also accumulated a lot of earned runs, and left the season with a 7.71 ERA and a -0.8 WAR in 5 starts.

2026 Prediction: Will not make the team out of camp, but will come back midyear and finally have things straightened out.

There was also organizational giant Brandon Sproat, a 25-year-old workhorse who made 4 starts for the Mets, and made a decent impression, with a 4.79 ERA and 17 Ks, despite a 1.210 WHIP. Sproat was a victim of coming in to try and save this team while the wheels were already coming off, and was just filling innings sadly. I don't think this season was indicative of his talent, a lot like Tong. He just needs better circumstances.

2026 Prediction: Because Tong is ahead of him in the depth chart, and because I know Peterson, McLean, Senga, Holmes, Manaea and Megill all factor into the Mets' 2026 plans, and because you also have to remember that Christian Scott might be back soon...unless Sproat has a great spring and locks up a rotation spot off that, he's either gonna be a Syracuse Met or trade bait next year.

Coming Tomorrow- The Nats' season was far more underwhelming than anyone thought, but at least they're a little better off next year, right?

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Mariners

 

The Seattle Mariners finished the 2021 season with a 90-72 record, with a better record overall than the eventual World Series champion Atlanta Braves. And they didn't make the playoffs. 

As previously stated, Rob Manfred is trying to fix this. It's just gonna take another month for anything to actually get done because he sucks and so do the owners.

But yeah. The Mariners had their usual strong start followed by a steep decline, and unlike other years, it was tailed by a bloodthirsty August and September, lapping the A's and nearly challenging the Yankees for a playoff spot. This team looked genuinely excellent in points this year, fueled by star turns by Ty France, Yusei Kikuchi and J.P. Crawford, and what may be the last Mariners season for Kyle Seager. 

And while Jarred Kelenic may have been the more publicized rookie call-up of 2021 for the Mariners, the guy called up the same day, Logan Gilbert, might have been the more successful one. In 24 starts, Gilbert had a 4.68 ERA, 128 Ks, more than any starter not named Kikuchi, and the 4th-highest amount of innings of anybody. So at 24, he's already a trusted starter and a solid low rotation man after a call-up.

2022 Prediction: With Kikuchi gone and Gonzales looking like he's gonna start playing less of a role in this team, Gilbert will step up as the ace, and have a huge season that garners the attention of all.

Before the need came about for Gilbert, the Mariners had Justin Dunn playing that exact role. In 11 early season starts, Dunn had a 3.75 ERA and 49 Ks. He seemed like one of the standouts of the team, and then he got injured and would be out for the rest of the season. I kinda wonder how the team would have done if he'd have stuck around. Would there have been the need to call-up Gilbert or trade for Tyler Anderson? We will never know.

2022 Prediction: He's stepping up too. Gilbert, Ray and Gonzales may have the eyebrow-raisers, but Dunn's gonna win 10 games and have some excellent starts.

In another year or so I'm gonna need to really reassess last year's Austin Nola for Luis Torrens trade. Cause I still don't know who that benefits. Austin Nola was sort of a starting catcher for the Padres this year, but was injured for a lot of the season. Meanwhile, the starting catcher for Seattle was Tom Murphy, who hit .202 with 11 homers and more strikeouts than hits, as well as lukewarm defensive numbers. Yes, Murphy did have some crucial clutch hits over the course of the season, but he's a backup catcher at best.

2022 Prediction: I don't think he's starting the whole season. Either the Mariners get somebody or the call somebody up.

Meanwhile, the catcher the Mariners did get in exchange for Austin Nola only started a few games at catcher. Luis Torrens was the starting catcher to begin the season, alienated the entire fanbase by refusing to hit for average, was sent down, then sent back up and became a power force at DH, finishing the season with 14 homers and 47 RBIs. As cool as his June surge was, he's still kinda one-dimensional, and not really what the Yankees prospectors prepared us for. So basically, Jesus Montero again.

2022 Prediction: Mostly bench work. A few big moments, though. 

Shifting to the bullpen, an unexpected success for the Mariners, after giving up Rafael Montero, they went to the next-most-trusted bullpen vet, Drew Steckenrider, to take the ninth. He was already having a sharp season, and powered it through a closing role, finishing the season with a 2.00 ERA, 58 Ks and a 1.020 WHIP in 62 innings, with 14 saves. Steckenrider finished the season with a 2.5 WAR, the 5th highest on the team.

2022 Prediction: I don't see him having the full season as the closer, but he'll have a strong, if not as dominant, year in relief.

In a very puzzling move, the Rays traded Diego Castillo to Seattle for J.T. Chargois, who finished strongly for the Rays. Castillo, who was one of the few remnants of the 2019 bullpen still remaining, shuffled over to Seattle, where he had a 2.86 ERA with 26 Ks in 22 innings. I think the Mariners got him because they figured they might need a closing option in Montero's absence, but Steckenrider ended up happening.

2022 Prediction: Begins to fade into the relief background. I don't think Topps is making a card of him next year.

Tomorrow, some extra customs from a letdown Marlins team that still accomplished a lot.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #289-297

 As we approach the final hero number card, which we will hit on Friday, we continue our rectification of the 2020 Topps sets, including uniforms and players that should have been there, and depicting an All Star Game that should have happened.

Onto the next 9 cards:

Card #289- Max Scherzer ASG, Washington Nationals

The only thing standing between Max Scherzer and his eighth consecutive All Star nomination was a global pandemic. Thankfully, if the 2020 ASG had been played as normal, Max Scherzer definitely would have been given an invite for the NL squad. Now 36, Scherzer is still undeniably one of the best pitchers in baseball, still can pile up strikeouts like nobody else, and providing a low ERA, even though his 2020 numbers were a bit elevated comparative to previous years. The good news is that Scherzer's currently leading the NL in Ks, and is on pace for another career year, and that 8th ASG nod.

Card #290- Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

One of two major pitching rookies called up in July of 2020, Tarik Skubal did his best when faced with some of the best lineups in the central divisions, but struggled. In 8 games, he posted a 5.63 ERA, a 1-4 record and 37 Ks. His 2021 numbers are slightly better, and he's beginning to get the hang of MLB hitters, but being on the Tigers certainly does not help.

Card #291- Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays

Jordan Romano is a rarity these days, a rare native son of Canada who actually gets drafted by, and debuts with, the Toronto Blue Jays. Although Romano was a multiple-time Rule 5 draft pick, and bopped around from Chicago to Arlington and back to Toronto during the 2019 offseason, he finally made a name for himself as a Blue Jay last year, spinning 15 innings of solid relief work over as many games. Romano finished the season with a 1.23 ERA and 21 Ks. Romano has been similarly dominant during the 2021 season as well.

Card #292- Elias Diaz, Colorado Rockies

By 2019, with Francisco Cervelli missing time due to concussions, the starting catching job in Pittsburgh was between Elias Diaz, longtime backup, and Jacob Stallings, fellow longtime backup. Somewhere in late 2019, Stallings won the job, and Diaz was cut, and signed with the Rockies to back up Tony Wolters. In 2020, Diaz had 26 games to prove himself, and hit .235 with 9 RBIs and 2 homers. Not much, but on par with what Wolters was doing. Now Diaz is backing up Dom Nunez, and hitting significantly worse.

Card #294- Mike Trout ASG, Los Angeles Angels

What do I even need to say about this one? Of course Mike Trout starts the 2020 ASG in the outfield. Of course people vote for him, of course he plays, of course he had another phenomenal season last year. It's kind of a foregone conclusion at this point. Even with an injury this season, Trout is still seen as the best in the game, and will likely come back and get right back to where he was.

Card #295- Brett Phillips, Tampa Bay Rays

Yeah, in the scope of the 2020 season, this is a very important one. Brett Phillips, the man who went to Milwaukee with Adrian Houser and Josh Hader in exchange for Mike Fiers and Carlos Gomez, then went to Kansas City in exchange for Jorge Lopez, was dealt again, to Tampa from Kansas City, in the last throes of the season. It was a very low-key deadline deal, one that didn't mean much at the time. Heck, it didn't mean much for the regular season either, as Phillips hit .150 with 3 hits and 3 RBIs in his 17 regular season games. But all it took was one plate appearance in the postseason to turn things around, driving in the game-winning RBI during a very long World Series game against the Dodgers, and keeping the Rays alive a little longer. Phillips is having a much better 2021, though his inability to hit for average persists.

Card #296- Luis Torrens, Seattle Mariners

Last post we talked about Luis Torrens, former Yankee prospect who was catching games in San Diego in August 2020 before being traded for Austin Nola. Torrens walked right into the starting catching spot for the Mariners, and did a decent job at the plate, hitting .254 with 6 RBIs in 18 games. His defensive abilities were a concern, and given another starting role in 2021, Torrens would disappoint, with a .178 average in 25 games. Torrens is currently back in the minors, waiting for his next chance.

Card #297- Max Schrock, St. Louis Cardinals

Once the Cardinals returned from their long COVID shutdown last year, there were several holes in the roster that needed to be filled. One of the was filled by utility infielder Max Schrock, who'd come to the team in the Stephen Piscotty deal. Schrock was a decent defensive piece that struggled at the plate in 11 games, with a .176 average despite 1 home run. Schrock was demoted thereafter, waived by Chicago and then Cincinnati, and is now a decent bench bat, albeit an injured one, for the Reds.

On Friday, we get to card #300, and some other cards as well. Lots of ASG cards coming up in this one.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #280-288

 51 Cards Left in This Set! We've hit the last month of this project, and we've got only a few more posts to go til we're through with it. Yet despite all the progress we've made and the cards we've shelled out, there's still some very big guns left in this post, a few of which really, REALLY should have gotten Topps cards in 2020. 

Here's the next 9:

Card #280- Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals

After Brady Singer became a smashing success out of camp with the Royals, the team looked to another minor league arm that was ready to call up, that being Kris Bubic, the fresh-faced hurler who started 10 games for KC last year. While not quite as showy as Singer, Bubic was steady enough in his 2020 tenure, with a 4.32 ERA and 49 Ks. Bubic has been used more as a replacement starter in 2021, but his numbers have been more impressive.

Card #281- Dylan Bundy ASG, Los Angeles Angels

2020 was an incredible year for former Orioles homegrown hurler Dylan Bundy, and if the 2020 season hadn't been preempted as it has, he would have earned an All Star Game nomination, and would have probably stood by for an inning for the AL. Bundy's high-strikeout work was sensational in his first season in Anaheim, making his 2021 crash down to earth all the more heartbreaking.

Card #282- Mychal Givens, Colorado Rockies

After Richard Bleier was dealt to Miami, Mychal Givens was one of the last few veteran relief assets the Baltimore Orioles had left in 2020. That being said, him and Miguel Castro being dealt at the deadline shouldn't have been much of a shocker. Givens was traded to the Rockies to abet their potential postseason push, and he struggled in 10 games with a 6.75 ERA. Thankfully, Givens's numbers have improved to their normal rates in a full year with the Rox.

Card #283- Blake Taylor, Houston Astros

Blake Taylor was the Astros' return in the Jake Marisnick trade, after already being traded to New York in exchange for Ike Davis 5 years earlier. The Astros had some pen space for Taylor in 2020, and he became one of the more crucial rookie relief options last year. In 22 games, Taylor hit a 2.18 ERA with 17 Ks, and had a 1.59 postseason ERA with 8 appearances over 2 series for the Astros. Taylor's sophomore season for the Stros has been slightly disappointing thus far, though.

Card #284- Phillip Ervin, Seattle Mariners,

In an outfield that was running out of room, Phillip Ervin became the odd person out in Cincinnati very quickly, and was dealt to Seattle right around the time of the Brian Goodwin trade [which got the Reds nowhere]. His numbers improved slightly for the Ms, with 4 RBIs in 18 games, though his playing time was minimal due to the burgeoning youth movement there. Ervin is currently in the Braves' minor league system, waiting for another opportunity.

Card #285- Jake Diekman, Oakland Athletics

This, along with Jeffress, may have been one of the most sinful omissions by Topps during their 2020 flagship run. Jake Diekman finished the 2019 season with the Oakland Athletics, a uniform change that was not depicted in 2019 Update because they weren't doing deadline deals. So you'd figure, okay, they do a Diekman A's card in 2020 Topps. They did not, because they don't think relievers exist past the ones who are relevant. Their loss. Diekman had an INSANELY strong 2020 season, only allowing 1 earned run in 21 innings, with 31 Ks. He'd also strike out 5 more in the postseason, despite giving up some runs to Houston. Diekman was one of the best relievers in baseball during the 2020 season, and is off to a nice start in 2021. Hopefully Topps gets the memo this time.

Card #286- Luis Torrens, San Diego Padres

Years after floating around the Yankees and Padres farm systems and...inspiring a blog or two, Luis Torrens FINALLY got some reps at catcher on a consistent basis in 2020. As Austin Hedges pulled his usual 'refusing to hit' schtick, Torrens was a useful backup option for the Padres, hitting .273 in 7 games before getting injured. Unfortunately, Torrens' time in San Diego would come to a close once he'd get traded to Seattle for Austin Nola. The Mariners' end of his season will be discussed fairly soon.

Card #287- Andrew Chafin, Chicago Cubs

Andrew Chafin, longtime relief weapon for the Diamondbacks, was off to a terrible start in 2020, with an 8 ERA in 11 games. So buyers wondered if it was the environment rather than the pitcher that was causing this, and asked for Chafin's availability. The Cubs traded for him, and got 4 relief appearances out of him last year, improving over his D-Backs numbers and leading to a very small postseason appearance. Thankfully, Chafin has been outstanding so far for the Cubs in 2021, and is one of the top relievers in a very strong bullpen.

Card #288- Erik Gonzalez, Pittsburgh Pirates

Erik Gonzalez was a backup infielder from Cleveland that was traded for Jordan Luplow. That deal has worked for both parties- Luplow has been an intriguing bench piece for the Tribe, while Gonzalez has been a high-quality backup infielder for the Bucs. Last year, for a small period of time, Gonzalez was the highest-ranking player on the Pirates. August was Gonzalez' biggest month at the plate, with a .282 average and 15 RBIs, but everything around that month dragged him back down. He's been decent enough so far in 2021. 

Monday, we get 9 more cards from this set. Two very big stars and some big rookies are in here.