The Mets finished 74-88 for a second straight year and never came close to playing a meaningful late-season game. While the pitching was respectable, the Mets’ lack of power crushed them.
Here are the final grades for the 2013 Mets.
Matt Harvey: Developed into the ace the Mets desperately needed before tearing his UCL. Don’t count on him for next year
Grade: A
David Wright: A hamstring injury prevented him from having an MVP-type season, but he showed no signs of complacency after receiving a $138 million contract last offseason.
Grade: A
Dillon Gee: Over the final four months of the season, he was the Mets’ most dependable pitcher. He posted a 2.79 ERA during that stretch.
Grade: A-
Daniel Murphy: He’s still too streaky for the Mets’ liking, but an anemic lineup would have been complete rubbish without his 78 RBIs.
Grade: B
LaTroy Hawkins: Stepped into the closer’s role with Bobby Parnell injured and prevented the Mets bullpen from disintegrating.
Grade: B
Bobby Parnell: Proved he can handle the closer’s role, before a herniated disk in his neck shortened his season.
Grade: B-
Zack Wheeler: He isn’t Matt Harvey, but the right-hander showed flashes of dominance over the final 3 ¹/₂ months. Walks were an issue.
Grade: B-
Eric Young Jr.: Led the NL in stolen bases with 46 and stabilized left field for a team that was desperate in the outfield.
Grade: B-
Juan Lagares: His 15 outfield assists set a Mets rookie record and few players in baseball cover as much ground. Now he’s got to improve on his .633 OPS.
Grade: B-
Josh Satin: Emerged as a valuable corner infielder who has a good sense of the strike zone.
Grade: C+
Scott Rice: After 14 years in the minors, showed he can handle the grind of pitching in the big leagues. But consistency was an issue.
Grade: C+
Jon Niese: The team’s Opening Day starter rebounded from a partially torn rotator cuff and had a strong finish to his season.
Grade: C+
Jeremy Hefner: A roller-coaster season ended with him undergoing Tommy John surgery. But for a six-week stretch, he was outstanding.
Grade: C+
Diasuke Matsuzaka: After three brutal starts for the Mets, finished strong in September and resembled the Dice-K of old.
Grade: C
Justin Turner: A solid reserve infielder who came up with big hits.
Grade: C
Andrew Brown: A decent option against lefties who displayed some power.
Grade: C
David Aardsma: Veteran reliever helped boost the bullpen in July and August.
Grade: C
Omar Quintanilla: A role player thrust into everyday duty because of the organization’s shortstop woes. Played hard, but skills are limited.
Grade: C-
Anthony Recker: Provided some pop in the backup catcher’s spot.
Grade: C-
Lucas Duda: Had only 33 RBIs in 318 at-bats and failed to seize the opportunity presented to him at first base over the final month.
Grade: D
Scott Atchison: It was hard to trust the veteran reliever in a big spot.
Grade: D
Travis d’Arnaud: The organization’s future at catcher didn’t exactly distinguish himself offensively, hitting only .202 in 99 at-bats.
Grade: D
Ike Davis: Took small steps forward near the end of his season, but was mostly a disaster at the plate, leaving the Mets in a quandary about first base.
Grade: F
Ruben Tejada: Was playing poorly and then got hurt before spending two months in the minors trying to prove he warranted a return to the Mets.
Grade: F
Jordany Valdespin: It’s a fairly safe bet the Mets have seen the last of “El Hombre.”
Grade: F
Frank Francisco: Sandy Alderson might as well have tossed $12 million into a bonfire.
Grade: F
Terry Collins: The manager stayed true to his word and pushed the Mets to continue playing hard all season.
Grade: C+
Sandy Alderson: The general manager landed Young and Marlon Byrd to help transform his “What outfield?” into a decent unit. But the organization’s lack of depth at key positions is troubling.
Grade: C