The Mets’ bullpen continues to be a weapon early on this season.
With the starting rotation failing to work deep into games they’ve stepped up tremendously — and that was again the case during Sunday’s series finale with the Blue Jays, in which David Peterson was forced to leave in the top of the fifth.
While there was some concern around the southpaw at the time, manager Carlos Mendoza clarified postgame that there was no physical issue and he was simply dealing with some stomach problems.
But with him sidelined, the bullpen was required to take on another big workload to help secure the series sweep and they did a tremendous job kicked off by Max Kranick, who is quickly developing himself into a long-relief weapon.
The starter turned reliever was tossed into a bases loaded jam for the second time over the first two weeks of the season, and he showed no fear yet again — as he fell behind in the count but got Alejandro Kirk to pop out to end the threat.
After putting together a perfect top of the seventh, the 27-year-old has now retired 21 of the 22 batters he’s faced across seven scoreless innings of work to begin the year.
“Max has come up really big,” Brandon Nimmo said.
“I know he’s had a long road dealing with injuries,” Pete Alonso added. “For him to come back and have the electric stuff that he’s had it’s really awesome and we’re super stoked for him. The way he’s throwing the ball right now is awesome.”
Max Kranick gets the Mets out of a bases loaded jam again! pic.twitter.com/kmCZP4aBW2
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 6, 2025
And it wasn’t just Kranick on Sunday — as Reed Garrett put together his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance, A.J. Minter had arguably his best outing to this point, and then Edwin Diaz worked around a pair of HBP’s to lock up his second save of the season.
As a group, they combined to allow just one hit while striking out five across 4.1 scoreless innings.
“They’ve been outstanding,” Mendoza said. “Kranick again coming in with the bases loaded and limiting the damage there getting out of the jam — he’s been great. [Reed] Garrett came in and attacked the zone, Minter was the best he’s looked stuff-wise letting it loose, and then Diaz.”
Their league-best 1.29 ERA is certainly a big factor in New York’s current four-game winning streak.
“They’ve been a huge reason behind our success,” Nimmo said. “They have amazing stuff. We have a few different weapons that can matchup well with the other side — it’s not just one guy, we have different guys in different positions in order to get it to Diaz.
“They’ve looked great and I think the numbers speak for themselves.”
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