At the trading deadline, all three of our teams strengthened their bullpens. The Yankees led the way with three additions (David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird), the Mets brought in Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers while the Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran and his interesting game entrance. Not all trades work out; Bird has already been sent to the Minors, hopefully he will be back before the end of the season. Bird’s troubles pale in comparison to those of Helsley. In six games covering five innings, the right-hander has surrendered seven total runs. The latest debacle was giving up two runs to the Braves in Thursday’s 4-3 loss. Things look bleak.
I am here to say Ryan Helsley will be much better from now on.
Maybe that very sentence dooms Helsley to a miserable two months in New York. I doubt it. He is too good, too talented to be down for very long. This guy had 49 saves last year and is armed with a 100 MPH fastball. It’s only a matter of time before Helsley realizes he is one of the top relievers in baseball. He has admitted that he is still “trying to figure out” pitching as a setup man in the eighth inning. I have no doubt he will. After all, the thrill of a playoff chase and impending free agency is more than enough motivation for Hensley to revert back to his 2024 form. A brief story from almost 30 years ago also convinces me Helsley will be better.
In 1996, at right around this time, the Yankees made a trade for left handed reliever Graeme Lloyd. You couldn’t have pitched any worse than Lloyd did in the regular season: 13 games, 5 2/3 innings pitched, 11 earned runs. But once the playoffs began, he was a different animal, allowing one hit in eight games. Perhaps the comparison isn’t 100% accurate as the Mets are not guaranteed a playoff spot. However, the idea that Ryan Hensley is an automatic failure as a Met is way too premature.
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