Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Red Sox

 

At long last, the Boston Red Sox, in Alex Cora's second tenure as manager, finally found a winning formula. All it took was trading away Rafael Devers.

Trevor Story finally had a healthy year, and gave the Sox what they'd been waiting for. The rookies, including Roman Anthony and Connelly Early, sought to eventually inherit the team by flashing cool MLB moments. Masataka Yoshida cemented his status as the ultimate Yankee-killer. Alex Bregman had a year so good it might land him a contract away from Boston. And it all led to a playoff berth, culminating in a suitably-strong Yanks-Sox series, one that ultimately resulted in a New York win.

The biggest triumph of all was getting a Cy Young caliber season out of Garrett Crochet. I initially questioned the Sox's choice to trade so much of their future to Chicago on the basis of one strong season from Crochet, itself marred by limited innings down the stretch. I was worried that the second Garrett Crochet got to Boston, he'd get hurt and render the deal pointless. Even in making a custom in March, I was very skeptical of how long the Sox would be able to savor this deal. Therefore, I apologize for doubting both parties. I whipped up a much better Crochet custom, one definitely befitting of his terrific 2025 season. 

Because there were so many ripe targets to customize this year, and because I was out of commission for a lot of the summer, I didn't even get to doing one of Brayan Bello, who had another really nice year as a Sox starter. It's weird to say this but Bello finally got a season ERA below 4, and went 11-9 with a 3.35 ERA over 28 starts. He'll be 27 next year, and the future's looking pretty bright.

2026 Prediction: Sub-3 ERA, Cy Young votes, ASG nod.

There were two ex-White Sox heroes who signed 2-year deals with the Sox before the 2024 season only to sit the season out entirely, both finally pitching for them this year. One of them was former White Sox hero Lucas Giolito, who blew his arm out midway through the 2023 season [as the Angels found out the hard way], and recovered all last year. His stuff in 2025 was pretty good, he went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 121 Ks over 26 starts. Slightly limited due to making sure his arm didn't fall apart, but a much nicer showing.

2026 Prediction: Tigers sign him to a 1-year deal, he misses two months but ekes out a crucial postseason win for them.

The other ex-Chicago pitcher to finally play a healthy[-ish] season for the Sox this year was Liam Hendriks, the beloved Australian closer. Hendriks has still been recovering from both arm injuries and cancer treatments, and his 14-game run this year seemed to indicate the majority of his strong stuff wasn't there, with a 6.59 ERA and 2 losses. At the very least, he fulfilled his end of the bargain as best he could.

2026 Prediction: Retires.

At the very least, perennial Boston bullpen piece Garrett Whitlock had a healthier year this year, mostly because he wasn't being relied upon to start games. He was the top reliever in the 'pen this year, with a 2.25 ERA and 91 Ks, plus 7 wins, in 72 innings. His best year since the breakout for sure.

2026 Prediction: Knowing Whitlock this year will be a major step down.

In a long line of excellent Red Sox bench guys, Rob Refsnyder has been everything this team has needed him to be and more since joining the team in 2022. All he needs to do is show up, occasionally start, and be relied upon for the odd clutch hit. This year in 70 games he hit .269 with 9 homers, 30 RBIs and an .838 OPS. 

2026 Prediction: When I wrote this post, I did not see anyone other than the Red Sox signing him, as I did not think Refsnyder wanted to play anywhere else. But to be perfectly honest, the Mariners NEED a bench guy like Refsnyder, since Dylan Moore and Mitch Garver didn't work. I think Refsnyder will ultimately work in Seattle, but I want to stress that they got him as a depth option. Hopefully he doesn't end up stuck as a starting option.

One of the big developments of the Red Sox' 2025 season was the emphasis on bringing in the rookies and giving them chances to be the star. Kristian Campbell got his chance out of camp, and he was just the beginning. Hunter Dobbins got to start some games after the Red Sox realized that Sean Newcomb starting games wasn't a good idea, and in 13 starts he had a 4.13 ERA with 45 Ks and a 4-1 record. The most infamous detail of Dobbins' season was that he went 2-0 against the Yankees, including going 6 innings against them only allowing 2 hits. Dobbins eventually made a comment that he'd sooner retire than play for the Yankees. After this, he got beaten up by the Giants, missed a month, then had to miss the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. Karmic retribution, perhaps.

2026 Prediction: Even before the Contreras deal I figured he’d be traded, just from how much rotation overhead the Sox currently possess. St. Louis has much more room, and though I’m not sure if he’ll be opening day ready, he’s got a good chance of being a stretch savior even if the Cardinals miss again.

Marcelo Mayer was the second of the three big Sox rookies to come up this year, easing in at third a tad as Alex Bregman missed time. Mayer's 44 games in the bigs were very okay- he hit .228 with 4 homers and 10 RBIs. Eventually he was brought back down to make room for Bregman again.

2026 Prediction: So, uh...Bregman's not coming back. Everybody knows it, except maybe Bregman himself. There will be an opening at third, and Mayer will be ready. I think he's gonna have a huge season next year, though maybe not as huge as another Sox rookie:

Of the three call-ups in the lineup, Roman Anthony was the one who got fans the most excited. Biggest prospect, biggest offensive perk, highest ceiling. At a certain point this season, Anthony was looking like so much of a sure thing that the Sox were trying to shop Jarren Duran. Anthony, in 71 games, hit .292 with an .859 OPS, with 8 homers and 32 RBIs. It was a very confident MLB audition, one that would have garnered more ROY votes had Anthony not gotten hurt mid-August.

2026 Prediction: Get those posters up on Yawkey Way. Crochet. Story. Anthony right in the middle. This guy's the future, and the future's gonna kick in big time next year.

The Sox made some minor moves at the deadline, mostly supplanting the pitching staff. In a move that still confuses me, the Sox got Dustin May from LA, looking to...LIGHTEN their starting load. Yes, they still won it all, but I think May could have helped. He got 6 games in Boston before getting hurt, and went 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA. 

2026 Prediction: Rebounds slightly with St. Louis but unless he plans on figuring out how to stay healthy for all 7 months, it's not gonna really matter.

Meanwhile, after having a tremendous season as a swingman and reliever with the Cardinals, Steven Matz landed on the Sox for a similar reason for the stretch. In 21 games, Matz had a 2.08 ERA, with a 0.877 WHIP. Nobody was getting past this guy this year. He went scoreless against the Yanks in the playoffs as well.

2026 Prediction: Well, now the Rays are gonna figure out how to work with him. My guess is they start him, he's great, they trade him for prospects and then he gets hurt again.

Coming Tomorrow- The Reds, similarly, broke through and made it to the playoffs after years of trying. It didn't end well for them. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2023: Cardinals

 

My dad said something to me towards the end of the regular season, that 'baseball is just better when the Cardinals and Yankees are competitive'. And while I get what he's trying to say, that baseball is more exciting when two of its winningest clubs are able to compete into October and extend their own legacies, I was not missing the Cardinals at all this October. It's been YEARS since I hadn't had to worry about the Cardinals at all, and with a good decade or so of them annoying me and constantly deciding around July that this is the year and not letting up til mid-October [which, to be fair, the Phillies have been doing recently], having the Cardinals completely collapse this year was a nice change of pace.

Like the other traditionally-great team that missed the playoffs this year, the Cardinals were struck down by injuries, bloated contracts, rookies that weren't all the way ready yet, and great seasons that were better off happening in other cities. Though you can never truly count this team out, and with the Cards restocking their rotation with guys like Kyle Gibson, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, it's unlikely that the team will finish 20 games below .500 again in 2024. Not impossible, but unlikely.

One of the team's biggest disappointments might have been losing Brendan Donovan, who was having another excellent season, to an injury midyear. Through 95 games, the versatile Donovan was hitting .284 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs, in addition to some decent defensive play. The injury robbed the Cardinals of one of its safest lineup bets, and while he should be ready by Spring Training, it's not sure whether or not he'll completely hit the ground running in 2024.

2024 Prediction: I'm guessing a lot of the 'youth movement' Cards from the past 5 years might be phased out, and by that point Donovan will have full control of second and be a big piece of this Cardinals team. He might chase .300 again.

In his second year in St. Louis, Steven Matz continued to deliver solid mid-rotation material, with a 3.86 ERA and 98 Ks in 105 innings. Like Donovan, he missed some time due to injuries, which dulled his full-season impact, but the team is relying on him for 2024.

2024 Prediction: His fullest season in years, a Sonny Gray-style [heh] low-ERA triumph that gets people back on his side.

As the many rookies and second-year guys begin to dominate the Cardinals' lineup, many of them, including Alex Burleson, are showing signs of staying power. Burleson was the team's primary DH this year, and hit .244 with 8 home runs and 36 RBIs. Decent power numbers, and at 24 they can definitely be built on.

2024 Prediction: I don't think he's gonna stay solely at DH. I think they're either gonna give him a full OF/corner position or just make him a bench guy. Something tells me they'll need DH a bit more open with Goldy turning 36. He'll still play next year, though maybe not as much of a starter.

And while Jordan Walker was the biggest rookie prospect to make the team this year, Masyn Winn showed up near the end and provided some solid defensive shortstop material to make up for Paul DeJong's departure. Winn's batting numbers have yet to arrive, as he only hit .172 with 21 hits in 37 games, but as Winn is only 21, it's the kind of thing he can come into over time.

2024 Prediction: I honestly think the Cardinals are gonna make a small free agent signing to fill shortstop until they trust Winn with the position. Then they'll call him up around August and he'll be 100% ready, and the other guy won't be needed.

Coming Tomorrow- Quite a few people who made the Cubs a worthwhile team this year. 

Matz More Like It

 

Speaking as someone who has despised the St. Louis Cardinals for over 10 years now, I can admit that the team had a pretty smart offseason. They offloaded a few contracts that were going nowhere, like Matt Carpenter and Andrew Miller, only made small acquisitions like Corey Dickerson and Steven Matz, and solidified their young core. 2022 may be the final season for team heroes like Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, but it will be a formational one for younger players like Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar.

So. The news that Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes might be out for a long period of time this year. That...must not have helped. 

One of the only things about this team that I feel bad for is the rotation never being completely what they want it to be. And this is after the 2012 rotation of Wainwright-Lynn-Lohse-Garcia-Westbrook, that stayed together amicably and made things hell for the Giants in the playoffs. They've had a series of consistent, like-minded rotations, and now they have one where Flaherty gets hurt, he comes back, then Hudson gets hurt, then Ponce de Leon gets hurt, and I guess we're starting Johan Oviedo. As a Phillies fan, it's slightly hysterical, but as a baseball fan I really hate to see it.

So with Flaherty missing games, that means the Cards' rotation is Wainwright, Steven Matz, who is coming off a middling season in Toronto, Miles Mikolas, who's been injured off and on the past few seasons, Dakota Hudson, who missed all of last year, and Jake Woodford, a rookie who's pretty untested. This is the ferocious Cardinals rotation for 2022. So even if Arenado, Goldschmidt and O'Neill hit like a storm again, the rotation is going to need to be on par with everything else, and I don't know if it can be.

Look, missing Reyes for a little while I can take, because we still have Giovanny Gallegos who can close games, plus now we have people like T.J. McFarland, Nick Wittgren and Drew VerHagen sprucing up the bullpen. So there I'm not so worried, the bullpen's never been a huge problem for the Cardinals. But if the Cubs are starting Marcus Stroman or Wade Miley, and you're putting up someone like Jake Woodford or Steven Matz, you're really rolling the dice. Even Wainwright, who's 40, and will be 41 this year, isn't a sure bet. I am aware that he won 17 games last year and delivered his strongest numbers since 2014. He's still in his 40s, and he's coming off a season where he started 32 games. Even if you're not in your 40s, you have to be very careful with that now.

So while the Cardinals could do their usual thing of becoming a surefire playoff threat [in, like, August], the pitching, especially the starting pitching, deters me from calling them a true endgame factor team. I could be wrong, and with St. Louis I usually am, but if they want to really be a force this year, they need some luck to come their way in that department.

Coming Tomorrow, or eventually if I decide to stagnate these: Ironically a former Cardinals prospect, looking at a uneasy but interesting road to a playoff spot himself.

Welcome Matz

 

My 'Spring Training customs' Blue Jay was Vlad Jr. last year, so I wanted to pick someone different. That's why I didn't do a Vlad. I know, he's hitting like mad, but...let's see how that translates to the regular season.

One of the most surprising factors of this upcoming Blue Jays team is the near-pristine quality of the pitching. Like...yes, it's only limited innings, but everybody's doing pretty well so far. Steven Matz, the shakiest of all of the starting batch, hasn't allowed a run yet. Tanner Roark and Robbie Ray, both coming off of disappointing seasons, have 2 wins apiece. Ray has 18 strikeouts. And yes, Hyun-Jin Ryu is also looking hot as hell, but we knew that. 

So, if this five-man rotation is looking this impressive out of camp...does this mean the Blue Jays are gonna be really damned good this year?

Welllllllll....looking at the lineup, I see some areas of concern. Right now, George Springer and Marcus Semien aren't hitting very well. The team signed them for a lot of money as a way of boosting the lineup with veteran status to counteract the youth movement. And while members of said movement, like Vlad, Cavan Biggio, Alejandro Kirk and Jonathan Davis [!] are hitting well, Springer and Semien are only doing modestly. Springer's hitting .250, but he's still sort of figuring things out in Dunedin [where he will be playing home games as well]. 

Most concerningly, Bo Bichette isn't hitting either. Mr. 5-Tool only has 1 RBI in 23 at bats. And a year after an injury as well. It should be alarming, even if it is pre-season. 

So while the pitching in Toronto is looking like it could be a nice step up, the lineup isn't as strong as it was last year right now. I know it's early, I know they could figure it out as they go, but this isn't the greatest first impression. They're still winning games right now, but the people they were really counting on haven't especially come through yet. 

Coming Tomorrow- Get out your flutes everybody!

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Mets (Part One)

For the second consecutive season, the New York Mets were the best bad team in baseball.

NOW WHAT I MEAN BY THAT...hang on, don't close the tab yet...

What I mean by that is that the Mets weren't good enough to compete, but they were good enough to keep others from thinking they could compete. For the second year in a row, they were in charge of determining which nearly-there teams were playoff ready, and that once again included giving the Phillies a bunch of losses and keeping them from a playoff spot. It also meant having one of the best lineups in the game despite being hampered by bulging, sagging rotation. 

Hopefully if the Mets keep the pieces that made them nearly compete this year, while also fine-tuning the pitching, they'll actually be able to take on Miami and Atlanta for the division. It just didn't happen this year either.

Brandon Nimmo was one of the many Mets that really excelled this year. He once again was in the shadow of Michael Conforto, but still got a lot done this year, including batting .280 and hitting 8 homers with 18 RBIs. Nimmo seems to be far from a fluke, and if he AND Conforto are both on next year, they could be an immortal OF duo.

2021 Prediction: Of him and Conforto, Nimmo will have the better contact hitting year, and the ASG nod.

Now...to talk about two players that the Mets still don't know what to do with. Dominic Smith was one of the best players on the team this year, but he's not the starting 1st baseman on the Mets. Pete Alonso is, and will likely continue to be. So unless the DH stays in the NL and they trade off DHing, Dominic Smith is gonna be stuck on the bench for a bit. I don't think you want a guy who led the team in RBIs with 42 to be stuck on the bench at all.

2021 Prediction: A half year of similar production and then, finally, he's traded to a contender and gets a starting role at 1st. 

Similarly, the time has come for the Mets to trade Amed Rosario. No more waiting around for the guy to hit for average, it's probably not going to happen. Once again Rosario underwhelmed in 2020, hitting .252 with 15 RBIs in 46 games. As Andres Gimenez has begun to close in on the position by actually hitting for average, the need for Rosario is slowly lessening. How much more time is this team gonna spend waiting for Rosario to match up to the scouting reports? Especially now that the Cohens are in charge.

2021 Prediction: He gets traded this offseason. To, like, Milwaukee or something. 

Good news is Jeff McNeil is still very much for real. Due to steroid-related reasons, McNeil didn't play a lot at 2nd base this year, but thanks to Luis Guillorme, I think he's gonna find a home in the outfield. He seemed to do well there statistically, and he fits in well with Nimmo and Conforto. Also, he's still a handy little contact hitter, as he hit .311 with 57 hits and 23 RBIs. 

2021 Prediction: Top 3 MVP voting. Yeah, it's happening. Gonna lead the league in hits, too. 

I don't think Mets fans are ever gonna come to a consensus on Edwin Diaz. So, statistically, Diaz had a very nice season- dude had a 1.75 ERA, 50 strikeouts and a pen-high 1.3 WAR. For all intents and purposes, this is technically a comeback year for the former Seattle closer aficionado. 

However.

Diaz only had 6 saves, and blew 4 others. The general consensus seems to be that Diaz is a great reliever, but still cannot resist the urge to blow a save or put runners in scoring position. Which has to be frustrating for the Mets. The stats may not show it, but Diaz may still be a liability to this team if he's going to keep blowing saves.

2021 Prediction: He doesn't last til the end of April in the ninth.

 

Speaking of people the Mets fans are fed up with, Steven Matz, as one of the two remaining 2015 Mets young hurlers still active this year [Thor was hurt], pissed away a lot of the goodwill he had left. In 9 games, he had a 0-5 record, a 9.68 ERA, and led the team in home runs allowed. I'm not saying this is the last of Matz' stellar years, but it's definitely a warning sign.

2021 Prediction: An improvement, but it might not be enough to keep him in the rotation. 

In the absence of the once-strong youth rotation movement, the Mets called in two veteran hurlers this offseason. Neither did especially well. I guess you can say Rick Porcello was the better of the two, mostly because Porcello is also just the more consistent pitcher of the two, but Porcello still had a 5.64 ERA and a 1-7 record, despite 54 strikeouts. After a few too many seasons of losing more games than he's won, Porcello seems to have bottomed out a bit.

2021 Prediction: Perhaps someone else will give him a chance, but I don't expect a full career turnaround.

The other of the two veterans the Mets brought in was Michael Wacha, the former Cardinal hero. Wacha's been shaky the last few years, and 2020 was no deviation from this: 1-4, 6.62 in 8 games. Not a great impression in a bit of a rebuilding year.

 2021 Prediction: Signs a minor league deal somewhere and mostly works relief. 

I'll post the other 6, who came in as the year progressed, tonight. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Mets

The Mets in the 2010s can be described overall as 'unlucky'.

They make a World Series in 2015 and nearly win on the strength of a powerful roster, but their flagship stars (Yoenis Cespedes and David Wright) miss time to injury, their star at the top of the decade leaves for St. Louis and cements his HOF-status, and they come up with solid end-of-the-decade teams without a good division to dominate.

2019 was another good year for the Mets, but the presence of the Braves and Nationals in the NL East with them forced them to end the year in third without a playoff chance. The strong seasons of Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom would have to wait to be redeemed.

 Brandon Nimmo was a guy who had a strong 2018 season, then once Michael Conforto back came back to earth, and had some very human numbers this year, hitting .221 in 79 games with only 8 homers. The team loves having him around, and despite trade rumors he's still a big part of the roster.
Why Him in 2019?: His inefficiency led to Jeff McNeil seeing more OF time.
2020 Prediction: Becomes a fourth-OF bench guy, and does fairly well with less pressure.

 The useful swing-man position vacated by Wilmer Flores was inhabited by JD Davis, former Astros farmhand. Davis settled in at left, batted .307 with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs. Yet his fielding numbers detracted from what would have been a fine, well-rounded season.
Why Him in 2019?: Became the more consistent outfield performer at the plate.
2020 Prediction: His role will diminish a bit, but the Mets will know when to use him, and his hits numbers will improve.

 Despite losing a starting job to Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith did fairly well as a bench substitute, with 11 homers in 89 games. His space as the hard-hitting Mets infield prospect has been usurped, but he did his best in 2019.
Why Him in 2019?: Performed better than expected upon giving the 1B spot to Alonso.
2020 Prediction: If someone doesn't trade for him this offseason, he'll be somewhere else in July.

 Steven Matz is definitely the dark horse of the rotation, but he still had some solid starts this year, with an 11-10 record and 153 strikeouts.
Why Him in 2019?: This was Matz' most consistent season to date
2020 Prediction: Will be the odd man out in a Mets rotation of deGrom-Thor-Stroman-Porcello-Wacha. But, once one of the latter two craps out, will have some impressive starts down the stretch.

 Marcus Stroman landing in Queens was certainly the OMG moment of the season, as many people didn't exactly mark the Mets as contenders. In his 11 starts after leaving Toronto, Stroman had a 3.77 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 4 wins. Not bad, but not to the caliber of his start.
Why Him in 2019?: The Mets' biggest mid-season move.
2020 Prediction: Chases 15 wins over a full, dominant season in NY.

 Seth Lugo picked up Robert Gsellman's slack as the best reliever on the team this year, with 104 strikeouts in 80 innings, as well as a 2.70 ERA and 6 saves. Lugo is a few years removed from his impressive WBC run, but he's still a big name in New York.
Why Him in 2019?: In a year of Jeurys Familia, Edwin Diaz and Justin Wilson occupying the pen, Lugo had the best numbers of 'em all.
2020 Prediction: Will be down a few pegs from 2019 but will definitely have some strong games.

 Edwin Diaz in Queens was a bit of a disappointment. The Mets signed this guy to throw 50 saves a year and be his 2018 self, and what does he give them? 26 saves, 7 blown, and a 5.59 ERA. Diaz felt like a shell of his former self, and clung to the few triumphs he had.
Why Him in 2019?: Signed to succeed, and fell hard, causing the questions of the second half to arise.
2020 Prediction: An improvement, in some form.

 Somewhere in 2019, the Mets became a habitat for veterans needing a brief team to try out for. Matt Kemp, Ervin Santana, Adeiny Hechavarria, Rajai Davis and, yes, Carlos Gomez all attempted to prove they had some left, and while Hecha had the best time of it, Gomez' was memorable, in that he [seemingly] ended his career with the same organization he started with.
Why Him in 2019? While Gomez' numbers were nothing to cry at [.198 with 3 homers in 34 games], it was kinda cool to see him back as a Met.

And eventually, after being dropped by the Giants, World Series hero Joe Panik even had some games with the Mets, covering for Cano at second. Panik didn't do too badly, either, hitting .277 and and 12 RBIs in 39 games.
Why Him in 2019?: Landed on his feet after being unceremoniously dumped in favor of a 2nd baseman that'd be similarly released a month later.
2020 Prediction: Someone will sign him to be a Neil Walker-type backup infielder.

Coming Tomorrow- I only have a few Nationals left, but seeing as they won the World Series, they're all kinda important.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Mets

So...despite the fact that the Mets are rapidly trying to put the 2018 season behind them by dealing like MAD this offseason, the Mets' '18 season wasn't entirely bad. True, it had a bad ending, but for the most part, the Mets were able to hang in there and pop back into the race when it was most unfortunate (for Philly).

The rise of Amed Rosario was a sharp factor in the Mets' September rise. He's a power hitter who, despite high strikeouts, can hold his own in a lineup of similar hitters. With the loss of several veteran big guns this year, and even with Cano's addition, expect Rosario to make a front-and-center splash for the Mets in 2019.

 Though Michael Conforto's season wasn't near as good as his 2017, thanks in part to a much lower average. He still hit 28 home runs, which was a team high, and will probably be relied upon as a marquee star for the Mets from here on out, but he's far from Mr. Perfect.

 Steven Matz, of the core four young pitchers in Queens (who managed to stick around), may have given the weakest performance, thanks to a 5-11 record, but he can still throw strikes, and though 152 strikeouts is low compared to Thor and deGrom, it's the kind of SO numbers that the Padres would wish for.

 Jay Bruce had his weakest season to date, marred by injuries and some increasingly poor at-bats. After a 2017 year where he powered the Indians through September, this was especially disappointing. Bruce is a fantastic player, and hopefully this isn't the norm for him, but...the Mariners will have to wait and see who they get.

 Wilmer Flores, 3 years after weeping his way out of a trade, finally played his last game in New York, though not before essentially taking over at 1st base, hitting over 100 hits for the first time since 2015, and hitting his lowest amount of strikeouts since becoming a regular member of the team. Hopefully wherever he lands will treat him as well as the Mets have.

 Austin Jackson began the season with the Giants, was traded, along with Cory Gearrin, to the Rangers as part of a deal that would be nullified once both players would end up being traded or DFA'd anyway. Jackson wound up as an emergency outfield fill-in, and he did fairly well for himself, with 49 hits in 57 games, a .250 average, and some uniformly nice defensive outfield.

 This season did mark an end for two Mets legends. Jose Reyes' end is a little less concrete, as he potentially COULD sign somewhere in 2019, but after a 2018 where he batted just .189 in 110 games, only getting 43 hits...any signing would be resting on mythology rather than present talent. If this is the end for Jose, at least he got to end it in Queens, alongside his frequent collaborator...

David Wright. He only needed 2 games to make a final statement in Queens...and he didn't get a hit in either of them. But he mainly wanted to come back to Citifield to say goodbye to the fans that had adored him so much. The guy lost some prime years to injuries, as well as possibly risking his HOF case, but he's more than beloved in New York, and he's a team Hall of Famer for sure. I'm glad he got a fair sendoff, and I hope the Mets can find a captain as worthy, and as well-rounded, as Wright.

Coming Tomorrow- They came very close at the end, but ultimately they couldn't even make it all the way in Bryce Harper's last year on the team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Mets

Well, I'll be damned. 2015 was the year I rooted for the Mets in the World Series.

I saw them at CitiField this year, and was so impressed by what I saw. The pitching was spot on, the lineup was explosive, and they only got bigger and better as the year went on. Yoenis Cespedes was the main crux point of this- once he joined the team he started hitting like an absolute monster, home runs left and right and making the other teams fear the cleanup spot.

I'm not sure if he'll be around Queens in 2016, but here's hoping.

Another guy who I'm hoping sticks around (haaaahhh...I wrote this a week ago...), Daniel Murphy stepped up big time in David Wright's absence, hitting tremendously and playing 2nd and 3rd whenever needed, also playing well into the postseason. This guy, if he stays with the Mets (which he probably isn't going to), will be a huge postseason performer.

Well...Curtis Granderson is one of my favorite players, and this year, he FINALLY had a great season on the Mets, hitting like his former self, and giving the same amount of fun that he gave in his first few seasons in the Bronx. Hopefully there's more coming.

And then there's the Dark Knight. Matt Harvey, the guy who had a shaky season, yet became one of the anchors once the postseason started, playing some great games, pitching like it was 2013 all over again, and giving hope to a city that needed some.

Steven Matz, the just-as-stellar fifth man in the rotation, came up and had some amazing RBIs in his first few games. He came back in the postseason, where he had even more great starts. I swear, if this guy is your #5 guy...the rest of the league is in trouble.

Michael Cuddyer was one of the Mets' few free agent signings in 2015, and while he didn't play every game, he did a decent enough job, making the most of his bookends on the team, and giving some home runs whenever needed.

Kevin Plawecki started games behind the plate once Travis D'Arnaud got injured, and while he's probably not going to be the ultimate answer at catcher for the Mets, he did a good enough job, and is definitely a worthy backup.

Juan Uribe played with three teams this year. Two of them, he was a monster offensively, and thankfully, one of those teams was the Mets. I witnessed one of Uribe's first few games as a Met, and he did not disappoint, giving some great hits, and just being a lot of fun.

Coming Tomorrow- The Nationals team that got sooooo close...