Dark Horse Met 2021

[Edgy MD]

I nominate lefty Kevin Kobel for 1978. Mostly stinky across various trips in previous years for Milwaukee, coming off a unimpressive year in AAA, his career was at a crossroads when the Mets got him for cash. He got off to a strong start in Tidewater, came up, and plugged the living daylights out of a hole in the rotation. ERA was at about 0.50 through his first 35 innings, while getting jerked from the pen to the rotation and back again.



Later starred in the hit indy film Once.



[fimg=350]https://i1.wp.com/mets360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/1980-Kobel.jpg?fit=651%2C929[/fimg]

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm going to officially nominate Yoenis Cespedes for 2015, and Centerfield can determine (in consultation with the home office in Stockholm, of course) whether or not he's eligible.

Excellent choice.

[G-Fafif]

For 2021, based mostly on seeing something hopeful about him today, I'll pick the mostly forgotten Drew Smith for a breakthrough, as in perhaps he'll be the new Seth Lugo in terms of a rock for the bullpen.



For 1997, Rick Reed. Surprised we didn't place the sash around his swimsuit already.

[Lefty Specialist]

Well, being forced to change dark horses in the middle of the stream, I'll pick Franklyn Kilome. Just because.

[Edgy MD]

I feel like Ian Hunter, because all of the good ones are taken.



But you know, I was talking to Mike Montgomery just a while ago, and he's got his eye on the rotation. I'm putting 25 cranes on the southpaw.

[LWFS]

Good heavens, Mr. Yamamoto-- you're (darkly) BEAUTIFUL



But since his dance card's cray-cray full... I'll throw my money behind the hyphenate Mr. Reid-Foley, who'll have a fun run of 5-6 starts during a particularly low ebb for this squad, injury-wise.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Tomas Nido ends up playing more games than we expect, hits better than we expect and handles the staff well!

[Centerfield]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm going to officially nominate Yoenis Cespedes for 2015, and Centerfield can determine (in consultation with the home office in Stockholm, of course) whether or not he's eligible.

I'd be disinclined to include mid-year trades of stars. I think the spirit of DHM, and part of what makes it fun, is that no one was expecting anything of these guys when they arrived then performed beyond all of our expectations. Like “wow, can you believe this guy? Who would have thought ____ had this in him?” The minute Yo arrived, we expected greatness.



On the other hand, if we trade for Joe Replacement and he hits 30 HRs in August and September, I think that would be ok.

[batmagadanleadoff]

=Centerfield post_id=56507 time=1613751784 user_id=65]


I'd be disinclined to include mid-year trades of stars. I think the spirit of DHM, and part of what makes it fun, is that no one was expecting anything of these guys when they arrived then performed beyond all of our expectations. Like “wow, can you believe this guy? Who would have thought ____ had this in him?” The minute Yo arrived, we expected greatness.

[Centerfield]

I'm going with Yenssy Díaz.



He's better than Matz!

[kcmets]

Does Luis Rojas winning manager of the year be considered dark horse?

Yes? I'll go with Luis Rojas.

[Centerfield]

Benny Agbayani. 1999 DHM? .888 OPS. 14 HR.

[Frayed Knot]

[YOUTUBE]vPnLXjx5qOg[/YOUTUBE]

[MFS62]

Thomas Szapucki You heard it here first. Later

Oopsie. I hadn't realized he hadn't recovered as much from his surgery as I had hoped until I read this today:

https://sports.yahoo.com/m/15ec5281-5fa3-364c-a389-2802d44e84b4/the-same-questions-remain-for.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/m/15ec5281-5fa3-364c-a389-2802d44e84b4/the-same-questions-remain-for.html



So I'll hope Thomas uses this year to fully recover while I change my choice to Sam McWilliams.



Later

[86dreamer]

I nominate Ryley Gilliam- 24yo non roster invite to major league camp. Hasn't pitched much in the minors but over two seasons has averaged 14 k/9. He will get 25 innings out of the pen this year and make us forget the Bashlor bunch.

[LWFS]

Thomas Szapucki You heard it here first. Later Oopsie. I hadn't realized he hadn't recovered as much from his surgery as I had hoped until I read this today: https://sports.yahoo.com/m/15ec5281-5fa3-364c-a389-2802d44e84b4/the-same-questions-remain-for.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/m/15ec5281-5fa3-364c-a389-2802d44e84b4/the-same-questions-remain-for.html So I'll hope Thomas uses this year to fully recover while I change my choice to Sam McWilliams. Later

Bartender? Scratch my previous Reid-Foley, and give me the same https://nypost.com/2021/02/27/mets-reliever-sam-mcwilliams-is-showing-off-his-wow-factor/tall drink o' water he's having.

[Centerfield]

I'm thinking the 2021 DHM is Jonathan Villar. A case can be made for Tylor Megill. Especially since no one had really heard of Megill. SRF got off to a nice start, but then kinda crashed after that.

[Edgy MD]

Strong cases for both. I'd guess Villar had a Steamer or Pecota projection going into the season of about 0.8 fWAR, and produced 2.1.



I'd imagine Megill had a projection of 0.0 or 0.1, but he came out of the season with an actual fWAR of only 0.6. I might have guessed more, but Manager Rojas was giving him such short workdays whether or not he was pitching well, and he averaged just under five innings per start.



I'd also lay a little dark-horse loving on Aaron Loup. He didn't come from out of short left field like Villar or from completely out of the parking lot like Megill, but going from bullpen backender to the peak performer ain't nothing. And to see a LOOGy flourish after they went and outlawed the LOOGy is a beautiful thing. It's like all these silent film stars grumbling about how sound ended their careers. But Laurel and Hardy faced the new paradigm down and somehow got even bigger.



Who'da thunk it?