Mets midseason report card: A few players get a surprising 'A' but some hit rock bottom
As the All-Star break begins this week, the Mets are enjoying a much-needed rest after breaking off the second-best record in the National League.
At 56-34 entering the final weekend before the break, the Mets are on pace to eclipse the 100-win mark for the fourth time in franchise history. A number of players deserve credit for one of the team's best starts ever.
Here's how we see the Mets' players stacking up so far in the 2022 season:
Edwin Diaz, RP
The Mets closer has been virtually unhittable over the course of the season, particularly across the last two months. With a fastball touching 102 mph and a wipeout slider, Diaz has struck 75 out of the 145 batters he's faced. He holds a 1.69 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 20 saves in 23 opportunities as one of the game's preeminent closers.
Grade: A+
Pete Alonso, 1B
Alonso has been the Mets' top run producer for a team that is tied for third in the major leagues in runs scored. He leads MLB with 78 RBI at the break, and his 24 home runs are tied for fifth most in all of baseball. His current .265 batting average would be the best of his career, and he has also added 50 runs scored.
Grade: A
Taijuan Walker, SP
As the Mets' starting rotation has been hit time and again with injuries, Walker has been a steady force by outliving his expectation as the team's No. 5 starter. With a 7-2 record, 2.55 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 16 starts, it would not be a stretch to say he was an All-Star snub.
Grade: A
Starling Marte, OF
Marte has been arguably the team's most important offseason addition to their lineup. He provides a little bit of pop, a spark of speed and a cannon of an arm in right field. His .458 slugging percentage is second on the team behind Alonso as he has supplied nine home runs, 41 RBI and 52 runs. He leads the team with 18 doubles and 12 stolen bases while batting .295.
Grade: A
Max Scherzer, SP
Mad Max has brought leadership to the starting rotation and continues to dominate at 37 years old. Scherzer has notched a 6-1 record with a 2.22 ERA that is best among the team's starters. His WHIP sits at an impressive 0.88 and he has struck out 90 batters in 69 innings. The only detractor from Scherzer's sterling introduction to Flushing was a near-seven-week absence following an oblique strain.
Grade: A-
Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF
A season ago, McNeil was batting .259 with three home runs, 14 RBI and 20 runs at the All-Star break. He has posted one of the best single-season turnarounds on the team with a refined approach at the plate. He is batting .300 with four home runs, 35 RBI and 38 runs on his way to his second All-Star appearance. His versatility while playing between second base and the outfield has been super important, as well.
Grade: A-
Luis Guillorme, INF
Guillorme has shown why he is one of the team's best fielders through the season's opening three months with one highlight-reel play after another. But more importantly, the Mets' offense does not skip a beat when Guillorme is in the lineup. He is batting .293 with a .369 on-base percentage while already posting career highs in runs (25) and RBI (10) in a more prominent role.
Grade: B+
Colin Holderman
Very few knew of Holderman heading into the season, but he began to make an impression in spring training and has carried his quality stuff into the big leagues. He opened his career with eight scoreless innings and has been dialed in since returning from a right shoulder impingement. On the season, Holderman is 4-0 with 18 strikeouts in 17⅔ innings and a 2.04 ERA.
Grade: B+
Francisco Lindor, SS
Lindor has been a little bit of an enigma so far in 2022. On one hand, he is clearly outperforming last season, with 66 RBI, eclipsing last season's entire total of 63. He has knocked 16 home runs, which is four shy of all of 2021. On the other hand, Lindor is batting .248, and his .756 OPS is only marginally better than last season. He has gone stretches, like early May and early June, where his production has faded.
Grade: B+
Brandon Nimmo, OF
The Mets' dependable table-setter leads the team with 59 runs scored, which is tied for the seventh-most in the National League, to go along with nine home runs, 33 RBI and a league-leading five triples. With a .271 average and .358 on-base percentage, Nimmo has taken a slight step back from his career numbers. He has made strong progress in his ability patrolling center field.
Grade: B+
Adam Ottavino, RP
In a bullpen that has sometimes seemed like the Achilles' heel of the Mets, the 36-year-old veteran has been one of their most steady relievers. Ottavino's 2.53 ERA is one of the best among the regulars in the pen. Most of the damage was done in a pair of three-run outings, otherwise he has given up four earned runs in 35 games.
Grade: B+
Chris Bassitt, SP
The Mets' other offseason addition to the rotation started hot, went cold and has gotten back on track over the last few weeks. Bassitt had a 2.34 ERA and 4-2 record after seven starts before giving up eight earned runs and seven earned runs in starts toward the middle of the first half. After five straight quality starts, he is now 7-6 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Grade: B
Mark Canha, OF
Simply put, Canha is a pro's pro. Nothing jumps off the stat sheet, but he grinds at-bats, gets on base and brings a consistent approach to the lineup. He is slashing .269/.370/.381 with seven home runs, 31 RBI and 40 runs. He has been a nice complement to the Mets' outfield, while playing each of the three spots during the season.
Grade: B
David Peterson, SP
Peterson has provided one of the most critical jobs for the Mets starting rotation while filling in during the injuries to deGrom and Scherzer and has asserted himself as a capable starter. After some early struggles with his command, he has slowly reeled it in on the way to a 5-2 record with a 3.24 ERA. Of late, he has gotten more swings and misses and has struck out 84 in 72⅓ innings.
Grade: B
Trevor Williams, SP/RP
Williams has been handed one of the most difficult roles of any player and performed admirably. He has started eight games and made another nine relief appearances. He's had some hard luck with a 2-5 record but has still registered a 3.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP thus far.
Grade: B-
Drew Smith, RP
Smith began the season as arguably the team's best reliever, opening with 13⅓ scoreless innings and 17 strikeouts. But since that start to the season, Smith has been a bit up and down, allowing 15 earned runs across his last 26⅔ innings with 29 strikeouts. His one flaw has been giving up the home-run ball, which he has done eight times in his last 24 games.
Grade: B-
Carlos Carrasco, SP
With 10 victories, Carrasco is the winningest pitcher in the Mets' starting rotation. His 4.27 ERA is also the highest among all of the team's starters. He has six starts with four earned runs or more but also seven with one earned run or fewer. He has given up 1.33 hits and walks per inning this season.
Grade: C+
Tomas Nido, C
With James McCann landing on the injured list on two separate occasions, Nido has been called upon much more than a season ago. Behind the plate, he is in the 89th percentile for framing pitches, according to Baseball Savant, and has shown a capable arm throwing out runners. His .211 average with 49 strikeouts in 58 games leaves a little to be desired.
Grade: C+
Eduardo Escobar, 3B
The Mets third baseman opened the year scorching hot, with seven doubles in the first 13 games, but has cooled off since. He has struck out a team-high 89 times and is slashing .224/.279/.397. His power comes in flashes as he's hit 11 home runs, driven in 40 runs and knocked 18 doubles. He has also shown off a strong arm at the hot corner.
Grade: C
Tommy Hunter, RP
The June addition to the Mets bullpen has looked hittable in his return from several back surgeries. He has given up 12 hits and three earned runs in 11 innings of work this season. He is able to get some swings and misses with 11 strikeouts.
Grade: C
Seth Lugo, RP
When pitching one inning, Lugo has been solid. But when he has been asked to go two innings or pitch in back-to-back days, things have not gone well. Over the course of the season, Lugo has given up 15 earned runs in 35⅓ innings (3.82 ERA) with 34 strikeouts. In his last 14 games, he has given up seven earned runs.
Grade: C
J.D. Davis, 3B/DH
The Mets have been searching for answers from the designated hitter position, but Davis has not been able to answer the call regularly enough. He is slashing .234/.325/.345 while knocking three home runs, driving in 19 runs and scoring 25 while striking out 61 times in 62 games.
Grade: C-
Dominic Smith, 1B/DH
Smith has shown a little more promise since returning from Class AAA Syracuse, but his numbers remain meager for a team that would love production from the DH position. He has yet to exit the park and has 17 RBI and 11 runs while batting .194 in 58 games.
Grade: C-
Joely Rodriguez, RP
The only remaining lefty arm in the Mets bullpen has had a rocky journey since his trade from the Yankees in spring training. He has given up two runs in five of his 32 appearances, which has been a major factor in his 0-2 record with a bloated 4.67 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP.
Grade: D
Travis Jankowski
Jankowski recently returned to the Mets lineup after missing approximately six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. He has provided strong speed off the bench but is batting just .167 with 11 runs and two RBI in 39 games.
Grade: Incomplete
Patrick Mazeika, C
Mazeika came back to the Mets for the second time this season after McCann hit the IL with a strained oblique. He has appeared in 21 games, batting .180 with six RBI and four runs in 19 games.
Grade: Incomplete
Buck Showalter, manager
Talk about an instant culture change. Showalter has driven the Mets to a first-half success story that was the best-case scenario, considering injuries to key starting pitchers Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. The players have bought into his style, which leans on fundamentals with a foundation of accountability.
Grade: A
Billy Eppler, GM
Eppler had a more challenging start than most incoming general managers as he had to overcome a work stoppage before the season's quick start. He solidified the lineup with the additions of Marte and Mark Canha and the rotation with the splash of bringing in Scherzer. Adam Ottavino's late signing flies under the radar. Now, the big question is how he will handle the first deadline leading the charge.
Grade: B+
Coming Thursday, read Mets insider Andrew Tredinnick's bold predictions for the second half of the season — a subscriber exclusive.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: Grades for Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz and rest of roster
