MILWAUKEE — Starting Friday, the Mets face the prospect of finishing a marathon season in a five-game, four-day spurt, but they have a depleted rotation and won't have starters on regular rest for Game 1 of the wild-card series. A solid bullpen that has the potential to perform in the most important innings of the season.
There's a lot to ask of the group, but perhaps it's being asked at the right time.
According to FanGraphs, the Mets' pitching staff is the most valuable talent in the majors in September.
Every starting pitcher has made strides since the beginning of the season.
The bullpen has also evolved, but it has finally settled into a fighting force.
The Mets have found an ace candidate in Sean Manaea, who will start Friday. He is the team's only announced starter in the series against the Brewers, with a potential doubleheader in Atlanta looming on Monday.
The Mets have found a talented player around Manaea.
Edwin Diaz is strong, but so are the outside relievers called up from other clubs and the minor leagues.
All of that is reflected well in Jeremy Hefner.
“I don't think he gets all the credit he deserves,” Reed Garrett said of the Mets' pitching coach. “I don't think we could do what we do on the field without him.”
Garrett is one of those discoveries, a fourth-year major leaguer acquired from the Orioles last year who enters this season with a career ERA of 7.11.
Righty began a strong relationship when Hefner joined the organization, first by text and phone calls, then in person.
On the mound, Garrett minimized his four-seamer and added a sinker.
In the offseason, Garrett worked on landing splitters for strikes.
He followed Hefner all winter.
“I trust him more than any other coach I've ever trusted,” said Garrett, who had an impressive 3.18 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 56/3 innings. “He's a genuine human being who cares about you, not just as a player, but as a person. … He cares about us and wants us to be the best we can be. He’s just a good person.”
Multiple pitchers said Hefner makes suggestions more than demands and listens more than he speaks.
Hefner, in his fifth year as the Mets' pitching coach, was open to Manaea tinkering with his arm slot after seeing Chris Sale excel with pitches closer to sidearm.
Manaea has weathered the adjustment and posted a 2.63 ERA since July 30, leading left-handed pitchers in the majors in innings pitched during that span.
For Phil Mayton, he had already learned the necessary batting adjustments with the Rays, and it took him two and a half months to correct the angle of his landing foot.
Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Mets.
Mayton, an eight-year veteran major leaguer who has seen many pitching coaches, said he “loved” working with Hefner, who helped make the midseason transition “smooth.”
“Some players want to overcoach and feel like they have to do all these things,” Mayton said. “I feel like he's very attuned to what I want to work on and has been very supportive of what I want to work on from what I've seen so far.
“What he puts out into the world is data-backed, well-thought-out stuff. If he does something for us, we know it’s really good, and we Whether it's a pitch sequence or my expression, it's something I should definitely consider doing.”
According to FanGraphs, the Mets' bullpen was the fourth most valuable in 21 games in September, posting a 3.67 ERA.
Their rotation was the best it had been in that span, posting an impressive 2.49 ERA.
Beyond Manaea, Luis Severino has found health. Jose Quintana has been relying more on his sinker and making pinpoint plays. David Peterson has been dominant at times and looks healthy behind hip surgery. Tyler Megill, who arrived from Triple-A Syracuse with a new sinker to help attack right-handed hitters in particular, has allowed one earned run in his past three starts.
This stretch may be Megill's most promising since the beginning of 2022.
Megill also enjoyed his time with Hefner, shouting out the organization's game plan.
“The overall plan for each series and how we attack hitters is probably one of the biggest things,” Megill said of his solid stretch.
Kudos to Hefner and the Mets' pitching department.
