Grading the Mets' 2022 season: Players, Buck Showalter, and the front office

For so long it was such a captivating season for a team defined by its ability to respond when challenged and find ways to win by excelling in all phases of the game.

But that only made the last two weeks stunningly disappointing, as the 2022 Mets let the division title slip away in Atlanta and then couldn’t get out of the wild-card round of the postseason despite playing at home.

Still, 101 regular season wins were driven by some very good individual performances. Here are the grades:

JACOB DEGROM

When he finally came back in August, more than a year after his last start, deGrom looked like he’d lost nothing from his Cy Young years or his Bob Gibson-like three months in 2021. But then he began getting nicked for big home runs on mistake pitches, usually as he got around the 90-pitch range, and soon enough he wasn’t commanding his fastball or slider with the precision that had made him so untouchable. 

He couldn’t deliver an ace-like performance in Atlanta, and though deGrom gutted out six innings in the Game 2 Wild Card series win over the San Diego Padres, his 12 starts in 2022 surely leave the Mets wondering if he’ll regain that otherworldly dominance for which he wants to become the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

GRADE: B+

MAX SCHERZER

He either got old overnight or he was limited by the lingering effects of a second stint on the IL with that oblique strain. And considering Scherzer pitched with his usual dominance in 2022 when he was healthy, it’s hard to believe age was the reason he failed the Mets in those two crucial starts to end the season. 

But even if it was only injury-related, that was the risk in signing Scherzer for $43 million a year at age 37/38, and remains so for the final two years of his contract. Still, as badly as it ended for him, Scherzer played a huge role in creating a new, winning culture around a team that had underachieved and lacked leadership.

GRADE: B

CHRIS BASSITT

Bassitt gave the Mets exactly what they hoped for when they made the trade with the Oakland Athletics … until those last two starts when he pitched as if the moment were too big for him. He admitted as much after the start in Atlanta but then went out and did it again in Game 3 against San Diego. As such, his ability to handle big-game pressure comes into question as he heads for free agency via the player option in his contract.

GRADE: B-

TAIJUAN WALKER

After finding a second wind in September to bounce back from a rough August and avoid a second-half collapse similar to 2021, Walker likely finished strong enough to have earned the Game 1 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers had the Mets advanced to the NLDS. At age 30 he’s a solid No. 4-type starter who will become a free agent via his $6 million player option. Whether he’s back likely depends on what other pitchers the Mets re-sign, as well as his price tag.

GRADE: B

CARLOS CARRASCO

A few too many clunkers, especially late in the season, marred his stretches of dominance and probably was going to leave him as the odd man out of the rotation had the Mets advanced to the NLDS. Still, 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA was a solid season for a back-end starter. But now the question is, with Carrasco turning 36 next spring, do they think he’s worth exercising the $14 million option in his contract they hold for next season?

GRADE: B-

EDWIN DIAZ

A remarkable story; Diaz came all the way back from the depths of his disastrous 2019 season to not only become the best closer in baseball in 2022 but a New York cult hero as well, thanks partly to his famous trumpet-based entrance song that took on a life of its own. Now the question is whether he’ll be back, as he’ll likely expect to become the highest-paid closer in the game via free agency.

GRADE: A+

ADAM OTTAVINO

The veteran reliever went from being a last-minute signing during spring training to the Mets’ top set-up man for Diaz, as he pitched consistently well over 66 appearances, finishing with a 2.06 ERA. Still, his long delivery made him easy to steal on, and his reliance on a sidearm slider made him much tougher on right-handers than lefties, who hit .301 against him, so he wasn’t ideal for high-leverage spots. He could be back but not as the eighth-inning guy.

GRADE: B+

SETH LUGO

The right-hander has never quite gotten back to the dominance he showed in 2019, when he emerged as one of the top relievers in the game, but Lugo had a solid season, pitching a lot in the middle innings as he posted a 3.70 ERA. When he was sharp he still flashed dominance, but he was inconsistent over 62 appearances.

GRADE: B-

TREVOR WILLIAMS

Something of an unsung hero in eating up 89.2 innings as a spot starter and reliever, often giving the Mets quality outings. As a reliever, in fact, he pitched to a 2.47 ERA over 51 innings.

GRADE: B+

TYLOR MEGILL

Let’s not forget how important Megill was in helping the Mets get off to a hot start, right from Opening Night when he stepped in for the injured deGrom and pitched well. After five starts he had a 1.93 ERA and looked to be blossoming into a star, but two separate injuries -- to his lat and then his shoulder -- hurt his performance and limited him to 47 innings. He didn’t take to being a reliever when he came back in September, as the Mets hoped, but should have a bright future as a starter if he can stay healthy.

GRADE: B-

DAVID PETERSON

The lefty did a solid job filling in as a starter, shuffling between Triple-A and the majors. He pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 19 starts before helping the Mets down the stretch out of the bullpen. At age 27 he’s shown signs of blossoming into a very good starter, but inconsistency and occasional control issues still make him something of a question mark.

GRADE: C+

TREVOR MAY

Injuries limited him to 25 innings and his 5.04 ERA spoke to his inability to gain trust as a late-inning reliever. All in all, the Mets thought he was a savvy signing as a free agent going into the 2021 season, but he never lived up to their expectations.

GRADE: D

MYCHAL GIVENS

After a very rough start to his Mets career upon coming over from the Chicago Cubs, he settled in and had some decent outings but usually in low-leverage situations. All in all he pitched to a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 innings and was mostly a reminder the Mets needed to do more to address the bullpen at the trade deadline.

GRADE: C

PETE ALONSO

The big first baseman had an impressive season, hitting 40 home runs and tying Aaron Judge for most RBI in the majors with 131. Alonso hit enough big home runs in September to make a late push as a National League MVP candidate, but probably needed to do some damage in that pivotal series in Atlanta to be in the mix to win the award.

GRADE: A+

FRANCISCO LINDOR

Big bounce-back year ended any speculation that he can’t thrive in the New York spotlight. Lindor led all major league shortstops with 107 RBI and put up impressive numbers in clutch situations, including hitting .339 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Also played outstanding defense at shortstop, making his own case as an MVP candidate, showing his toughness by playing through a fractured finger, and missing one game all season.

GRADE: A+

JEFF MCNEIL

Made good on predictions scouts were making as early as 2018 that McNeil had the elite bat-to-ball skills to win a batting title, as his hot streak the final two weeks of the season pushed his average to .326, the best in the majors. His versatility was invaluable as well, moving back and forth from second base to the outfield seamlessly, playing very good defense in the infield as well as the outfield. Bonus points for being the only Mets hitter to show up for that last Atlanta series, going 7-for-13.

GRADE: A+

EDUARDO ESCOBAR

Was looking like a free agent bust until he turned his season around the last six weeks, finishing so strong that Escobar earned NL Player of the Month honors for September as he pushed his OPS-plus number for the season to 106, above league average. Even so, his .681 OPS against right-handed pitching raises the question of whether he’ll wind up in a platoon next season with rookie Brett Baty.

GRADE: B-

MARK CANHA

The Mets were hoping for a little more power, as he hit only 13 home runs, and Canha also disappeared when it counted most, going 2-for-11 in the Atlanta series and 0-for-10 in the Wild Card Series. That finish tarnished a solid overall season that saw him post a strong 122 OPS-plus number.

GRADE: C+

BRANDON NIMMO

His leaping catch to rob Justin Turner’s home run and preserve a 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Aug. 31 highlighted his defensive improvement as a center fielder, and Nimmo avoided injury, playing 151 games -- the first time since 2018 he’s played more than 92 games. He had a solid offensive season, with 53 extra-base hits, though his elite on-base percentage from past years was down a bit to .367. Mets would like him back, but Nimmo didn’t hire Scott Boras as his agent to take a team-friendly deal as a free agent, so we’ll see.

GRADE: B+

STARLING MARTE

The great unanswered question of the Mets’ season is how much Marte’s broken finger on Sept. 6 cost them. As valuable as he was in the No. 2 spot all season, it’s reasonable to think the Mets would have won a couple of more games over the final month if he’d been in there, and held on to win the NL East. His absence was surely a factor in the team’s offensive struggles late in the season, after he totaled 45 extra-base hits in 118 games to go with his .292 batting average and an impressive 132 OPS-plus.

GRADE: A-

LUIS GUILLORME

For the first half of the season, Guillorme had a case as team MVP, playing outstanding defense at second and third base and hitting well enough to force his way into a platoon at third with Escobar, while Buck Showalter campaigned for him to be an All-Star. After a groin injury on Aug. 14 cost him three weeks on the IL, however, Guillorme wasn’t the same player, hitting only .205 with a .554 OPS after coming back in September.

GRADE: B

TOMAS NIDO

It’s not that Nido was great -- his 72 OPS-plus was well below league average. But he certainly emerged as a better option than James McCann as the primary catcher, doing enough offensively to be more than an automatic out. He hit .239 with 15 doubles in 98 games and delivered some clutch RBI, hitting .333 with two outs and runners in scoring position, and his defense behind the plate was solid.

GRADE: C

JAMES MCCANN

Only because he’s good behind the plate at a defense-first position does McCann avoid an F. But let’s face it, he had a dreadful year with the bat, hitting .195 in 61 games with three home runs and a woeful 55 OPS-plus. Mets sure wish they’d signed J.T. Realmuto two years ago instead of thinking McCann was a better deal at four years and $40 million.

GRADE: D-

DARIN RUF

Hate to give out Fs, but if anyone deserved one it’s Ruf. He came over at the trade deadline because of his good career numbers against left-handed pitching but he looked lost at the plate his entire time as a Met, hitting .152 with no home runs in 66 at-bats.

GRADE: F

DANIEL VOGELBACH

He started out hot after coming over at the trade deadline to platoon with Ruf at DH, and his .393 on-base percentage was a testament to his plate discipline and ability to draw walks. But he went long stretches coming up empty in big at-bats, hitting .255 overall with six home runs. And his penchant for guess-hitting and taking called third strikes cost the Mets in some key moments.

GRADE: C

GM BILLY EPPLER

Eppler should have done more at the trade deadline to address the bullpen and the DH situation, no doubt, but to some extent his hands may have been tied by Steve Cohen’s desire to hold on to top prospects in an effort to build a sustainable winner via a strong farm system. More significantly, Eppler made important moves in the offseason, bringing in team-first veterans who helped create a winning culture in addition to producing on the field.

GRADE: B

MANAGER BUCK SHOWALTER

Like every manager, Showalter made some questionable decisions that were magnified by pennant race pressure, especially in his conservative September bullpen usage when more urgency may have won an extra game or two. But overall, Showalter turned out to be the perfect man for the job in helping turn the Mets from past underachievers to winners of 101 games. His demand for professionalism shined through, as did his preparation and comprehensive understanding of the rule book.

GRADE: A