- Cecchini cleared waivers (yikes to his value around the league).
-NYFS top 50
Rookie maximums for at-bats (130), games pitched (30) or innings (50) in the major leagues"
If the 2 leaders are within 5% of each other, or the leader has less than 30% there will be a run-off between the top 2. If a run-off results in a tie the tiebreaker will be vote total in the previous poll, we will continue to "go back" in the polls until there is a clear leader.
*Jeff McNeil is ineligible
*Chris Flexen is ineligible
*Drew Smith is ineligible
*Tyler Bashlor is ineligible
1) Andres Gimenez (SS) AA 19/37 votes- 51%
2) Peter Alonso (1B) AAA 24/36 votes- 67%
3) Ronny Mauricio (SS) Kingsport 12/33-36%
4) Mark Vientos (3b) Kingsport 16/31-52%
5) David Peterson (LHP) A+ 21/31- 68%
6) Franklyn Kilome (RHP) AA 20/33-61%
7) Thomas Szapucki (LHP) A 18/32-56%
8 ) Shervyen Newton (SS) Kingsport 12/30-40%, Run-off with Anthony Kay 17/33-52%
9) Anthony Kay (LHP) AA 18/26-69%
10) Simeon Woods-Richardson (RHP) Kingsport 12/30-40%
11) Will Toffey (3B) 10/29-34%, run-off with Cecchini 15/27-56%
12) Gavin Cecchini (2b) 14/26-46%
13) Francisco Alvarez (C) 9/26-35%
14) Dez Lindsay (OF) 7/18-39%
15) Tony Dibrell (RHP) 9/23-39%
16) Jordan Humphreys (RHP) 7/21-33%, Run-off with Nido 18/24-75%
17) Junior Santos (RHP) 6/28-21%, Run-off with Nido 11/20-55%
18) Tomas Nido (C) 10/23-43%
19) Luis Guillorme (SS) 9/24-38%
20) Adrian Hernandez 6/26-23%, run-off with Wahl/Cortes 8/15-53%
21) Carlos Cortes (2b) 8/21-38%
22) Steven Villines (RHP) 4/16 25%, Run-off with Thompson/Wahl 9/23-39%
23) David Thompson (3b) 8/23-35%
24) Ali Sanchez (C) 9/17-53%
25) Eric Hanhold (RHP) 7/21-33%, run-off 7/20-35%
26) Luis Carpio (IF) 4/18-22%, runoff with Uriarte 9/14-64%
27) Stanley Consuegra (OF) 4/20-20%, runoff with Uriarte/Valdez 6/17-35%, advances due to more votes in previous poll
28) Juan Uriarte (C) 4/19-21%
29) Freddy Valdez (OF) 7/17-41%
30) Daniel Zamora (LHP) 3/17-18%, run-off with Montes De Oca 10/12-83%
31) Jaylen Palmer (??) 3/12-25%, run-off with Montes de Oca/Vilera 9/16-56%
32) Ryley Gilliam (RHP) 5/22-23%, run-off with Manea 8/16-50%, advances due to more votes in previous poll
33) Matt Winaker (OF) 4/22-18
34) Kyle Dowdy (RHP) 6/20-30%, run-off with Vilera 9/12-75%
35) Jaison Vilera (RHP) 6/17-35%
36) Jose Miguel Medina(OF) 6/17-24%
37) Jeremy Vasquez (1b) 3/18-17% run-off with MDO/Manea/Viall 3/7-43%
38) Patrick Mazeika (C) 4/13-31%
39) Walker Lockett (RHP) 5/13-38%
40) Sam Haggerty (UTIL) 7/11 64%
41) Chris Viall (RHP) 4/11 36%
42) Ryder Ryan (RHP) 8/13- 62%
43) Bryce Montes de Oca 6/19 32%
44) Christian James 6/17-35%
45) Joe Cavallaro 3/17-18%, run-off with Brodey 7/13-54%
46) Michael Paez (IF) 5/22-23%
47) David Marcano (RHP) 4/22-18%, run-off with Brody 7/12-58%
48) Quinn Brodey (OF) 5/23-22%, 9/13-69%
49) Jose Moreno (RHP) 4/23-17% run-off with Gonzalez 8/14-57%
50) Tim Tebow (OF) 8/33-24%, run-off with Gonzalez 17/27-63%
HM-
Yoel Romero (UTIL)
Gregory Guerrero (SS)
Raul Beracierta (OF)
Kevin Kaczmarski (OF)
Hansel Moreno (UTIL)
Edgardo Fermin (SS/2B)
Kevin Smith (LHP)
Daison Acosta (RHP)
The city signed an agreement Thursday that charts a path forward for development in Willets Point.
The de Blasio administration signed a letter of intent Thursday with a joint venture between the Related Cos. and Sterling Equities. The pact lays out a timeline for the development team to hash out the details on two potential scenarios drafted by a community task force for 17 acres to the east of Citi Field in Queens. One of the scenarios includes a hotel and soccer stadium, while the other is more traditional, presenting a mix focusing on housing and retail. In roughly a year, according to the letter, the city will decide which path to pursue and draft a final development agreement after soliciting public input.
Quote:
While working out a more granular plan for the mixed-use development scenario would be fairly straightforward, vetting plans for a soccer stadium would be more involved. Building an arena would require the developers to secure a letter of intent from a franchise, according to Glen. The team would likely be newly created within the United Soccer League, an organization with nearly 40 squads that play in smaller stadiums than Major League Soccer, a league that counts New York City Football Club among its members. While the task force recommended a stadium of up to 25,000 seats, the developers envision a facility with up to 15,000 seats, according to the city.
One calls for a soccer stadium of up to 25,000 seats, according to the documents. Parking for the venue would be shared with Citi Field. In addition, the plan calls for retail, open space, a school, new police and fire stations and a residential building.
The second scenario follows a more typical mixed-use format that would produce six blocks of residential development, retail, open space, a high school and a fire station along with a health center.
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It's a shame because with the nice park nearby, and the stadium, the area could be a nice destination.
It's a shame because with the nice park nearby, and the stadium, the area could be a nice destination.
Yup. The thread on NYFS where the new article was posted... is from 2013! lol
It is truly pathetic.
Also, in a Minor League System with 4 shortstops in their top 20, and a pretty good one in the Majors.....why did they feel the need to "throw in" Jared K and hang on to Gimenez.
2018 rank: 21
The Mets would easily have had a top-10 system had they not traded away their top two prospects, Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn, as well as other valuable prospects such as Luis Santana, in a bid to make the 2019 team a contender -- a bid that might very well work if their starters are healthy enough, but that could just as easily lead to a fourth-place finish. Despite the trades, it's still no worse than an average system thanks to a lot of hits on draft picks beyond the first round and some successes in the international market over the past two years.
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14. New York Mets
2018 rank: 21
The Mets would easily have had a top-10 system had they not traded away their top two prospects, Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn, as well as other valuable prospects such as Luis Santana, in a bid to make the 2019 team a contender -- a bid that might very well work if their starters are healthy enough, but that could just as easily lead to a fourth-place finish. Despite the trades, it's still no worse than an average system thanks to a lot of hits on draft picks beyond the first round and some successes in the international market over the past two years.
I WIN
I WIN
I WIN
The Mets would easily have had a top-10 system
If you think I was annoying with Plawecki, you aint seen nothing yet lol
GO AWAY, stop pissing on my parade lol
I agree his comment is odd, but he specifies non first rounders and int'l hits. But their top prospects are full of second rounders and bigger IFA signings. Technically he's right, but it isnt a list littered with 14th rounders like it implies.
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his comment is silly. Mets top 10 prospects who are these examples of not-high picks? Using the NYFS list the top player they drafted on the list outside of the 1st round...SWR who has yet to actually do anything (not knocking the talent but he's not a hit or miss yet) and Tony Dibrell so....
I agree his comment is odd, but he specifies non first rounders and int'l hits. But their top prospects are full of second rounders and bigger IFA signings. Technically he's right, but it isnt a list littered with 14th rounders like it implies.
Well that's what I mean. I mean credit for signing someone like Gimenez but they aren't exactly finding mid-round hidden gems. On paper their best guys are big IFA signings and high picks (like most teams).
I am NOT getting off your lawn
And there is nothing you can do about it
It is truly pathetic.
Mikeller is the best stadium bar I've ever gone to anywhere. World class beer right in the stadium. Check it out.
If I get to a game too early and don't feel like drinking, walking around Flushing Meadows/Corona park for an hour or two is something I've always enjoyed when the weather isn't bad.
The best approach to seeing how our system stands is probably to average Law's ranking with the other ones that come out.
No question our 2nd round picks (Alonso/Vientos/SWR in particular) and intl FA signings were where the previous regimes track record was strongest.
The best approach to seeing how our system stands is probably to average Law's ranking with the other ones that come out.
Well this is what I'm saying. I would bet anything he's significantly higher than what the average is going to be. FG's list had them 17th before the off-season trades, so they pretty clearly are going to have them no higher than low 20's (if not worse) and Jeff P said BP doesn't have their rankings yet but "easily bottom 3rd". Willing to make a gentleman's bet that BA + BP + FG + mlbpipeline's average will have the Mets in the early 20's.
Cano 2.5 fWAR
Broxton absolute garbage, same with Lagares
Alonso 2.2 fWAR in only 122 games played
Prior to the trades I think they had a strong system, probably close to top 10, now I think they are back to where they were to start last year. The trades they made stunted the progress of a strong draft and almost everyone important having a good year last year - Vientos, Gimenez, Alonso, etc. So the outlook was trending up. Injury to Kilome and trading 20% of our top 20 has knocked it back down to middle of the pack.
The amount of top end IF talent is as good as just about any other team in baseball though, especially at SS. OF pool may be worst in baseball. Pitching pool is probably very middle of the pack depending on how all the TJS guys come back this year.
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and extremely stubborn, but he's still a guy who puts a ton of work into evaluating prospects and it's hard for me to say his opinions/rankings are less worthy than others.
The best approach to seeing how our system stands is probably to average Law's ranking with the other ones that come out.
Well this is what I'm saying. I would bet anything he's significantly higher than what the average is going to be. FG's list had them 17th before the off-season trades, so they pretty clearly are going to have them no higher than low 20's (if not worse) and Jeff P said BP doesn't have their rankings yet but "easily bottom 3rd". Willing to make a gentleman's bet that BA + BP + FG + mlbpipeline's average will have the Mets in the early 20's.
Yea, I don't think that'll surprise any of us who follow the system and the trades made this offseason. But, I don't think it's unreasonable to add Law's average in there. Maybe it gets us to the teens, but more likely low 20s.
Big picture wise, it really doesn't matter a ton to me whether we have the 19th or 25th best farm system. It's not really that good of a system, and there's only a few guys I'm excited about.
Aside from the 2019 season which is most important, I'm more interested to see how the new front office hires are able to build the whole organization out. Whether we're starting from 19-25th, it's far more important whether in 3 years from now we see a new approach to drafting/international talent etc., that is improved from the Alderson regime. The analytic hires last week have me pretty optimistic in that regard.
But yea Dan, I get your concern and will be frustrated if people are just say stuff like "Mets have an above average farm system" just because of the Law ranking.
Im hopeful they will be more aggressive with the relationships in IFA, but that takes years to redevelop.
I think the biggest change you will see quickly is the 'under the radar' moves that have sorely been missing for a long time. You've already started to see it with ML invites. But I definitely think you will see a LOT more focus on the smaller moves. Which is why you go out in full force for acquiring the high end guys first...
Make sense. I'd really like to add another arm or two before the season anyway. Would make me feel comfortable enough to go to war and shift out of offseason mode into LETS GO METS mode.
Im hopeful they will be more aggressive with the relationships in IFA, but that takes years to redevelop.
I think the biggest change you will see quickly is the 'under the radar' moves that have sorely been missing for a long time. You've already started to see it with ML invites. But I definitely think you will see a LOT more focus on the smaller moves. Which is why you go out in full force for acquiring the high end guys first...
Appreciate the thoughts. Caster a wider net and looking at more talent/opportunities can only be a good thing.
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@MattEhalt
Brodie on Mets rotation depth; “Hector Santiago is an All-Star at the major-league level. .. We think (Lockett)s a real major league candidate. We wouldn’t have taken Kyle Dowdy in the Rule 5 Draft if we didn’t think there was upside and we know Lugo/ Gsellman have been SP...."
Nice to hear. The organization can say Lugo and Gsellman are BP only until they are blue in the face but obviously when injuries happen, shit changes.
I'd have brought him back and hoped last year was just an aberration from overuse.
If they're serious about Lugo/Gsellman possibly being options in the rotation, I don't know why they wouldn't have rolled the dice on Brach or Kelley. That would have been a perfectly acceptable alternative to hedge against Vargas without needing to spend 2 years of guaranteed money.
For context Santiago's "all-star" FIP was the 3rd worst mark among ALL qualified SP in 2015 (only Harang and de la rosa) were worse https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2015&month=0&season1=2015&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=17,d #Mets
quantity doesn't = quality. Just ask the 10 relievers they acquired a couple years ago.
2.82 FIP, 2.33 ERA, 108.1 innings. It was a worthy selection at the time.
quantity doesn't = quality. Just ask the 10 relievers they acquired a couple years ago.
Dowdy touches 98 mph. I dont think he's anything like Gilmartin.
Give us the goods. lol. Gio still in play?
Dowdy touches 98 mph. I dont think he's anything like Gilmartin.
I didn't mean they were alike in terms of style, they are alike in that they were both rule v picks and most rule v picks don't amount to anything. If I was going to guess Gilmartin probably did more than most rule v guys do. I think most go the way of Brad Emus.
I dont think its a big of a crap shoot as you make out. Selecting a Rule V guy means you are taking somebody that has to make the 25 man roster over what you have, so there likely is some extensive scouting, homework done before you go into something like that.
2.82 FIP, 2.33 ERA, 108.1 innings. It was a worthy selection at the time.
For sure but that would look even WORSE. "2015 he had a great 1st half and has stunk since then". It's 2019. He's pitched 3.5 seasons since that time and been really bad. He's fine on a minor league deal but to act like he's even been good for an entire season isn't even true let alone "he's an all-star". A reason why an "all-star" is taking a minor league deal in January... lol
Would LOVE to add either. Given the lack of high-end AAA prospects that we can hope for a breakout from, I think a guy like Gio for Bucholz would provide more marginal value per $$ to the Mets than other teams.
But... The main reason for bringing in Gio or another SP is to create depth and for that, it would be worth it in my mind.
Today, we look into a club that has surprised the baseball world move after move this winter: the New York Mets.
Team Leadership
Despite having been around for 57 seasons, the Mets have really had only three owners. They were founded as an expansion franchise in 1962 by Joan Payson with her widower running the show for five years after her death before he sold the club to publisher Nelson Doubleday’s company in 1980. Doubleday individually grabbed the club along with Fred Wilpon in 1986 and Wilpon, along with his business partners, bought out Doubleday in August 2002 with the Wilpon ownership group assuming full control. To say that Wilpon ownership got off to a bad start is quite an understatement as the team made just one trip to the playoffs from 2003-14, memorably falling to St. Louis in a seven-game NLCS in 2006 before a pair of heartbreakingly close playoff misses in 2007 and 2008. The club was rejuvenated, fueled by elite young pitching, in 2015, reaching the World Series and following that up with another playoff trip in 2016, albeit just a Wild Card Game loss.
Following an eight-year run during which Sandy Alderson rebuilt the club into a true contender, Wilpon went outside the box — way outside the box — and hired former Creative Artists Agency player agent Brodie Van Wagenen to be the new general manager in October 2018. Although his hiring was initially met with some skepticism and questions about possible conflicts of interest, Van Wagenen has set the baseball world on fire with a series of marquee moves, as we’ll discuss below.
Historical Payrolls
Before hitting the numbers, please recall that we use data from Cot’s Baseball Contracts, we’ll use average annual value (“AAV”) on historical deals but actual cash for 2019 and beyond, and deferrals will be reflected where appropriate. And, of course, the value of examining historical payrolls is twofold: they show us either what type of payroll a team’s market can support or how significantly a given ownership group is willing to spend. In the most useful cases, they show us both. We’ll focus on a 15-year span for the Mets, covering 2005-18 for historical data as a means to understanding year 15: 2019. This period covers nearly the entirety of Wilpon’s sole ownership, so this provides an excellent window into what to expect from the club. We’ll also use Opening Day payrolls as those better approximate expected spending by ownership.
Wilpon kept spending largely consistent during the early days of his sole ownership, but payroll jumped in a big way to fuel the successful teams of the late 2000s. As that roster aged and faded, the payroll dipped substantially, including a massive one-year drop of nearly $50 million before the 2012 season. Payroll largely stagnated until a return to significant spending in the 2016 season as the Mets attempted to return to the World Series, followed by another jump before the 2017 year.
The Mets paid a $1.1 million luxury tax bill for the 1999 season under the previous tax regime, but that was the only year in club history during which they’ve incurred the tax. They came in narrowly under the threshold in 2003 by less than $1 million, but they haven’t come particularly close to the tax line over the past 15 seasons. The club has regularly played in the international amateur space, though they’re not known for the type of boundary-pushing spending that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cubs have employed.
Future Liabilities
Mets spending in 2019 is set to take a new leap, setting a new franchise high by a solid margin. Unsurprisingly, a bevy of guaranteed deals lead the way.
Despite some huge numbers for Cespedes and Cano, the club is far from hamstrung by its current deals as there is very little money committed beyond the 2020 season.
Speaking of Cespedes, he provides unquestioned offensive firepower…when he’s on the field. Since being acquired by the Mets at the 2015 trade deadline, signing a new deal with the club before the 2016 season, opting out, and securing a long-term deal covering the 2017-20 years, Cespedes has blasted his way to a powerful .282/.346/.543 batting line. However, Cespedes has seen his games played dwindle each year, tumbling from 159 in 2015 to 132 in 2016, 81 in 2017, and finally just 38 last season. The front office has given repeated indications that any contribution from Cespedes in 2019 will be gravy given his lengthy recovery timeline following heel surgery.
While Cespedes has struggled to stay on the field, new Met Cano has been a picture of consistency, playing at least 156 games each year from 2007-16 before dipping all the way to 150 games in 2017. However, Cano was slapped with an 80-game suspension last year after a test revealed the presence of a diuretic in his system before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in December. It’s likely Van Wagenen’s tenure will be defined in large part by how Cano performs in his new (old) city. Regardless, from a purely financial standpoint, Cano represents a fairly safe risk: whenever he plays, he has been remarkably productive and if he fails another drug test, Cano will be suspended for an entire season without pay. It’s also worth noting that the Mariners are subsidizing Cano’s deal both by sending cash to the Mets annually and by absorbing the remaining amounts due to Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak. It should be noted that the most sought-after player in the Cano deal was reliever Edwin Diaz, who fell 13 days short of Super Two status for 2019 and will therefore earn just $570,800 in his first year with the Mets.
Among the guaranteed deals for current players, longtime Met Juan Lagares is the sole remaining holdover who spent a significant chunk of time under the Alderson regime. Lagares plays a mean center field and runs well, but his bat never developed, so it figures that the Mets will pay his 2020 salary and wish him well nine months from now.
The remaining players are all middle class veterans on short-term deals. Frazier and Vargas both enter their walk years while Van Wagenen filled out the remainder of his roster by throwing modest sums of cash at solid, unspectacular veterans. Lowrie enters off of a stellar year but turns 35 shortly after Opening Day. Ramos, Familia, and Wilson each enjoyed success in 2018 and prior years, though each comes with a recent red flag: a knee injury for Ramos, a domestic violence suspension for Familia, and a nightmarish loss of command in recent years for Wilson.
Finally, we get to the payments to ex-players, and holy smokes, what a walk down memory lane this is. Wright has two years remaining on his eight-year contract, though insurance figures to pay about 75 percent of his guaranteed money, after which the team owes him $3.1 million annually through 2025. Santana’s deferred money carries just two years into the future.
But Strawberry, Bonilla, and Saberhagen? They basically define the risk of long-term deferrals. The team will spend over $3 million on that trio through the 2020s while owing nearly $2.8 million to the Strawberry-Bonilla duo for additional years. It’s true that those dollar figures aren’t astronomical when considering team budgets, but $3 million represents an annual flier on someone like Shelby Miller or a modest bullpen upgrade like Shawn Kelley. Instead, the Mets will continue to spend that cash on players through their 60s. Yikes.
Turning to the arbitration ranks, the Mets feature their best talent:
deGrom and Syndergaard are arguably the team’s two best players. Wheeler finally recovered from a slew of injuries to realize his promise as a strong rotation cog, and Matz still carries plenty of promise to do the same. Conforto played at an All-Star level in 2017 before slipping to be a merely plus regular in 2018; he just turned 25. Only d’Arnaud figures to play a less than prominent role as his sterling 2015 becomes a thing of distant past more so than a predictor of future stardom. Nevertheless, the arbitration table carries much of the intrigue for the Mets in 2019 and beyond.
What Does Team Leadership Have to Say?
Wilpon didn’t offer much insight as to what team spending would look like early on in the offseason, stating only that “Brodie knows what the parameters of what the payroll is and what we’re planning to do.”
Accordingly, this pushes us toward Van Wagenen for insight on the team’s expected spending…which also yields no useful information. Back in November, the general manager stated that the club was “open for sure to moving money off the roster” but “willing to add money as well” before deferring more specific questions to ownership.
It seems that franchise leadership has no interest in making their spending plans public knowledge. For competitive advantage purposes, I can’t say I blame them.
Are the Mets a Player for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado?
Probably not. They haven’t been mentioned as one of the clubs seeking a sit-down opportunity with either mid-20s star and that speaks volumes, especially now that we’ve reached February.
Furthermore, following his expensive forays into the marketplace to acquire Cano and Familia, sources indicated that Van Wagenen would be focusing his efforts on an outfield bat, rotation depth, or a lefty reliever, not exactly an indication that Harper or Machado would be meeting with Mets brain trust in the near future.
Still, it can’t be ignored that Mets play in a major metropolitan area and feature a fan base that supported attendance totals regularly in excess of three million annually, even eclipsing four million fans in 2008. They exceeded 2.6 million fans only twice since then. If ownership and the business operations folks believe that a contending Mets team can draw at least 3.1 million fans like they did each year from 2006-09, that extra revenue could surely support another marquee addition, though doing so would push the team into taxpayer status depending on how Wright’s insurance coverage is factored. They currently have a tax payroll of approximately $186.5 million, meaning they can only afford a $20 million addition before exceeding the tax line.
For now, assume that the Mets are out on both players while holding a tiny glimmer of possibility in the back of your mind. While you hold onto that thought, consider this idle, baseless speculation: in addition to Wright’s, Cespedes’ contract is insured as well, though the Mets were hazy on the specifics. If they truly think that he’ll be unable to play at all in 2019 and the policy covers roughly 75 percent of his salary after a disability period is reached, the club may recover something north of $10 million on the policy. The prospect of another big expenditure starts to look eminently more reasonable.
What Will the 2019 Payroll Be?
Well, it’ll be a new team record, that’s for sure. But just how high will it go?
Currently, team payroll comes in at $159.5 million including the substantial payments of deferred money. The luxury tax won’t be a factor unless the team adds $20 million or more to current payroll, so this number is a good approximation.
How much room is there for additional expenditures? It seems reasonable to assume that Van Wagenen took the job with the understanding that payroll would increase by some amount, even if that amount is more in the five-to-ten percent neighborhood than something more substantial. A ten percent increase fits the bill as the club seeks to contend in their final years of depressed-cost control over deGrom and Syndergaard. But don’t be stunned if the percentage increase is more like fifteen or twenty in the end. For now, we’ll estimate at the low number.
Projected 2019 Payroll: $165 million
Projected 2019 Payroll Space: $5.5 million
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@NYPost_Mets
Brodie Van Wagenen: "Hopefully the fans recognize we did make a big offseason splash. We just spread it around."
For context Santiago's "all-star" FIP was the 3rd worst mark among ALL qualified SP in 2015 (only Harang and de la rosa) were worse https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2015&month=0&season1=2015&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=17,d #Mets
Not factual...
"is" vs "has been" are 2 very different things