Why Seth Lugo is the X-Factor in the Mets' Bullpen

The Mets' bullpen has endured a great start to the 2021 season, and with the return of Seth Lugo, they are beginning to look even scarier.

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The Mets' bullpen has been one of the biggest bright spots surrounding the team throughout the first two and a half months of the season.

Whether it be Edwin Diaz, Miguel Castro, Robert Gsellman, Aaron Loup, Jeurys Familia or whoever else they hand the ball off to, everyone has been pulling their own weight no matter what role.

Astoundingly enough, the 'pen was shattering expectations even after losing a key piece in the backend in Seth Lugo, who underwent elbow surgery in February.

But now, Lugo is back and he is making this Mets bullpen look even deeper, which has given manager Luis Rojas a significant advantage late in games.

With Castro dealing with neck tightness, Lugo came on with a two-run lead in the eighth inning of Saturday's 4-1 win. And the right-hander looked sharp for the second-straight contest, shutting the Padres hitters down with three strikeouts.

Since returning from the IL on May 31, Lugo has nine strikeouts, while allowing only one run in 5.2 innings (1.59 ERA). 

He's been throwing his curveball at a higher rate this season at 30.5%, which is second behind his four-seam fastball, which he throws 31.7% of the time. Lugo's curve has been stifling hitters, drawing a 30% whiff rate.

"That's just the way it's lined up," said Lugo of his curve prior to the Mets' final game of the series with the Padres on Sunday, "I try to pay attention to the game and keep guys off balance."

Another key aspect of Lugo's success stems from the fact that he has been able to recover quicker in between appearances. This is because he is pitching without inflammation for the first time in quite some time.

"In years past, there'd be a little inflammation and I thought that was normal for pitching," said Lugo, "Now it's not there. I feel like after the surgery I've recovered a lot better."

According to Lugo, this has also helped his mechanics become "free-and-easy," which allows him to go out there and pitch without pain.

After his latest impressive performance yesterday, Rojas praised him for the impact he has had on the bullpen.

"He just makes our bullpen so much deeper," said Rojas, "That's what Seth has done for us since he has joined us."

Lugo's versatility has also been helping Rojas navigate his 'pen each game.

"I talk about Seth Lugo with the different things he can do," he said, "He can go multiple innings, be a setup guy or close."

"Seth is one of those guys who can help us rest guys for the next day," Rojas added.

While the Mets' bullpen has impressed all season long, the addition of Lugo gives them so many more options on any given day.

Rojas even mentioned how Lugo's presence is allowing them to preserve Trevor May by giving him time to work on his stuff. May has hit a rough patch, giving up eight runs in his last nine appearances, but instead of trotting him out there each night in the eighth inning while he doesn't have it, the Mets' depth allows them to send out Lugo, or someone else in the meantime.

This key aspect is something that the Mets have lacked for quite some time. Instead of squandering away leads late in games, the Mets now have a multitude of options, with Lugo being the X-factor.