5 reasons the New York Mets can’t afford to lose the National League East

1. Figuring out the roster

Once the postseason arrives, the Mets will have to figure out what to do with the roster, including on the pitching side as Taijuan Walker could find himself out of the rotation and in the bullpen once the playoffs begin.

There is also the question of edge-of-postseason-roster players like Tommy Hunter, a reliever who went on the injured list on September 20 (retroactive to September 17) with lower back tightness. The 36-year-old right-hander has pitched in just 18 games for the Mets this season, but has been effective when he has been called upon, posting a 2.42 ERA and 1.209 WHIP. However, Hunter’s FIP of 4.28 suggests the veteran reliever might have had some good luck on his side when he was on the mound.

Hunter could return for the very end of the regular season, but will he have a place on the postseason roster? With the Wild Card round in play, the Mets would have less time to figure out those types of questions than they would with the bye that comes with the NL East title.

Additional rest for the entire pitching staff while giving Showalter and his coaching staff bonus time to sort out the postseason roster sounds like a big plus for the Mets.