LOS ANGELES — The Mets’ roster is littered with surprise stars who are off to a 12-9 start. (After six straight wins, they lost 10-0 to the big-name Dodgers on Sunday. But I’ll try to forget about that for now.)
There’s also Jose Butt, who hasn’t been with the team since the spring, but he’s been the best starter so far.
There’s Tyron Taylor, who received little attention when he arrived in a trade from the Brewers, but has contributed with both his bat and glove.
Luis Severino said last year that he was “the worst pitcher in the game,” but now he’s one of the better pitchers.
But no one can match 31-year-old journeyman Reed Garrett. He played professional baseball for 10 years with little notice and could be the best reliever in MLB in 2024. Statistically speaking, that’s indisputable. He’s a guy who started the season with a 7.10 ERA and a WHIP that’s unseemly to mention.
This is a man who has spent his career being nominated, fully nominated and chosen, and a man who spent two years in Japan just to become financially independent and keep his real hopes alive.
It all finally paid off this month, as he went from under the radar to unbeatable. Garrett, who did not join the Mets in the spring, led the majors with 21 strikeouts in 10/3 innings out of the bullpen (a number comparable to Edwin Diaz) and posted a perfect 0.00 ERA.
The 2024 season will be a big highlight for him. But his biggest highlight came Saturday, when coach Carlos Mendoza called on Garrett to pitch in a 6-4 shutout against the league’s best team, and he did just that in improbably impressive fashion. He struck out all three Dodgers batters and recorded his first save in the major leagues.
“It’s one of those things you dream about,” Garrett said. “And it really was a dream come true.”
And it’s no fluke. James Outman and Andy Pages were out on strikes, and Gavin Lux was on the downswing.
“He throws with power and is a good splitter. He has a good combination,” Outman said.
“That’s very good. He’s one of the top pitchers in the league right now,” Pages said.
The next big question is how did this happen? There are many explanations, but perhaps the best one is:
1. He has improved his curveball, making it more like a sweeper (you’ll have to ask your pitching coach what that means exactly).
2. He brought back his two-seam fastball (he also throws a 96 mph fastball, a cutter, and an outstanding splitter that is his calling card).
3. He found someone who truly believed in him, in Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
Four. And perhaps this is the big one. “I think it’s just trying your best to attack the strike zone and go right after your guys. I think the most important thing is that it’s a lot easier if you can get ahead in the count,” Garrett said.
that’s it? I followed up by pointing out that he’s been pitching for a long time, which would seem pretty obvious. He was nice about it. (If you’re going to needle someone, I think it’s best to do it on that person’s best day, who also happens to be a great athlete.)
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve already done what I was supposed to do. And early in my career I fell behind,” he said. “If you’re not ahead in the count, you can’t throw to chase or whiff.”
Whatever the reason, it’s been quite a journey. There have been 11 minor league teams (three of them twice, Frisco three times), five big league teams (Texas twice), and one team spent two years in Japan. In fact, he left as a pitcher for the Seibu Lions four days after his first child, Beau, was born, and spent nine months alone in a Tokyo suburb at the beginning of the pandemic. He was alone and knew neither the league nor the language. But he had dreams and his wife, Mary, whom he describes as an “incredible trouper.”
He stayed on for a second year, but returned to Richmond, Virginia, in 2022, around the time his daughter Lucy was born, and signed a minor league deal with his “hometown” Nats. He pitched 9¹/₃ innings for Washington (more in the minors) and was named to assignment again.
He got another chance with Baltimore, the next closest team from home, but was eventually drafted after pitching 2/3 innings in the major leagues (more in the minors) (this is baseball’s term for dismissal). That’s a good way to say it). .
The previous Mets administration claimed him off waivers on June 25 of last year, and he ended up logging 17 major league innings in Queens. He posted a 5.82 ERA, but he felt better about his content and stats. He finally has the confidence he needs.
His dream is finally not far away.
He said he never felt like giving up. And he plans to keep going for as long as he can from here.
“They’re going to have to rip the jersey and cleats off me,” he told me.
He doesn’t have to worry about it now. He’s the best in the big leagues so far anyway.
