Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Mets are still battling with the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the National League East. They currently hold a one game lead, but that's not an extremely comfortable lead, and it's clear the stakes are huge. Whichever team wins the division will automatically advance to the National League Division Series, while the other will be forced to play in the Wild Card round.
The Mets have been leading the way for most of the season, and regardless of which seed they end up with, it's clear that they have what it takes to go far in the playoffs this season. With a strong lineup and a deep pitching staff, the Mets are going to be a tough out no matter who they go up against this postseason.
Still, there are some players on New York who have the ability to change the tides of their postseason run. In fact, their biggest X-factor is a player who has stepped up for them in a huge way all season long, and that will need to continue to do so once the postseason gets underway. Let's take a look at who that player is and analyze their potential impact for the Mets in the playoffs.
Mets X-factor for 2022 MLB Playoffs: Chris Bassitt
Chris Bassitt's first season with the New York Mets has been a success. While everyone in the rotation has been in and out due to injuries, Bassitt has been the glue that has held everything together all season long. Without him, everything would have fallen apart, and now that the Mets starting rotation is fully healthy, they appear poised to dominate the postseason.
Bassitt has been a model of consistency for New York this season. He has a 15-8 record over 29 starts to go with a 3.27 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Those aren't the flashiest numbers ever seen, but it's clear that Bassitt's impact on the Mets pitching staff has been huge this season.
With aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer missing time with injuries throughout the season, Bassitt was the guy who had to step up and take charge of the rotation for stretches of the season. His ability to do so has gotten New York to this point. But with the playoffs right around the corner, it's clear that Bassitt's role has changed.
deGrom and Scherzer are going to lead the way for the Mets in the postseason. That's an electric top tier starting duo that can win a team a World Series title. But they can only pitch every few days; there are going to have to be guys behind them that step up and make their mark for New York as well.
That's where Bassitt steps up. Bassitt can take a backseat of sorts to deGrom and Scherzer now that they are back and dominating, but once their turns in the rotation are up, it's going to fall on Bassitt to step up and take the baton from them. Bassitt profiles as the Mets third starter, and the third game of pretty much every playoff series is crucial, as it sets the tone for how the rest of the series will go.
If Bassitt can continue to pitch like he has all season long, and give the Mets a hidden ace of sorts, that will make them even more dangerous than they already are. Having two dynamic starters leading the way is one thing, but if you can make that number three, it makes winning in the postseason that much easier.
The Mets are going to rely on their starters considering the fact that their bullpen isn't the best, which enhances Bassitt's importance even more. Having a quality start in the playoffs isn't as regular an occurrence as it once was, but New York has guys that can do some real damage in the postseason in their starting rotation.
Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker lurk behind Bassitt, and while they have good numbers this season too, they simply haven't been as consistent as Bassitt has been. One of them might get shifted to the bullpen to help out there considering days of rest can be spaced out pretty easily in the playoffs.
Bassitt struggled for consistency early on in his career, which is ironic because it's his consistency that has made him invaluable to the Mets this season. He was the glue earlier in the season when he was tasked with leading the rotation while deGrom and Scherzer dealt with injuries.
He's going to be the glue again in the playoffs, just in a completely different role. It will be up to Bassitt to hold the Mets rotation together in the playoffs, and if he can continue his strong season, New York will have a good shot at going all the way in the playoffs.
