New York Mets most important player in a 60-game season

Which player is most important for the New York Mets in a shortened 2020?

Reports indicate that Rob Manfred plans to impose a 60-game season after negotiations between the MLBPA and owners became a stalemate. For the past few months, both sides never saw eye-to-eye on any proposals for various reasons.

Now, teams and fans prepare for a much shorter regular season. Instead of crawling through the dog days of August, it will be a full sprint to the finish line with such an abbreviated number of games.

So, who now becomes the most important player for the New York Mets this season? The answer is quite closer than you would think, as it comes down to Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom.

However, deGrom is still the team’s most predominant and crucial player. Even with a 60-game season.

Yes, a power hitter in the heart of the lineup who drives in a plethora of runs seems that much more valuable now, but you cannot argue against the dominance and importance of a two-time Cy Young award winner.

Why is Jacob deGrom the New York Mets most important player in 2020?

This season, deGrom enter’s 2020 as the back-to-back Cy Young winner. In 2018, he took the award home with an exceptional ERA of just 1.70. Last year, his ERA went up a tick to 2.43, but that was still substantial enough to claim the award again.

Pitching every fifth day has always carried significance. Who is the ace? Who can be the streak stopper/starter? Well, for the Mets, deGrom is all of that. Each time he takes the ball and toes the rubber, he is likely handing the ball off later in the game with the Mets in a prime position to win.

Ironically though, deGrom has just 21 wins in the past two seasons. The team often struggles to score for their ace, but that does not take anything away from how great he is.

The Mets did play well in the latter stages of the summer last year, and they are primed to compete this season as well. The team is deep, they can score runs, and they boast a rather steady lineup if each player is healthy.

Though, deGrom is so valuable because the team’s starting pitching depth took a big hit when Noah Syndergaard needed Tommy John. He is out, and now deGrom needs to lead the likes of Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, and Steven Matz this year.

Each lone win carries more weight now, which is why having a front-line ace, and perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, is so critical. The Mets will lean heavily on deGrom this summer.