Memories of Huascar Brazobán

[Edgy MD]

Great name, great slider.  Was a Met for three seasons and got better each year.

Joined the team at the trade deadline in 2024.  It wasn't immediate help he had to offer, but help he did, and it makes for some symmetry that he should leave at the trade deadline.

The player the Mets sent to Miami was at high A, and is still there now, so this looks like a trade the Mets are winning well.

I'm disappointed the Mets never sent him out for a save — he was generally the one good reliever they had available on the days they were resting Raley, Weaver, and Williams — but I'm generally disappointed how stubbornly the 2026 Mets (and most teams, by extension) have stuck with one designated guy for ninth-inning save situations.

Really cool locks.  Focused, business-like demeanor.  Ends our rare run of having a two-Cuban team, and in fact leaves Mexican Daniel Duarte as the only Latin American-born pitcher on the staff.

[seawolf17]

I really liked when we picked him up - I thought he would be a very solid 8th inning type of guy for us. Mendy seemed to like using him as an opener, which is stupid.

[Gwreck]

12 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

 Ends our rare run of having a two-Cuban team

Brazoban is Dominican, no?  He was their closer in the WBC I thought (again underscoring it was odd he never got any save chances with the Mets). 

[Edgy MD]

12 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

Brazoban is Dominican, no?  He was their closer in the WBC I thought (again underscoring it was odd he never got any save chances with the Mets). 

Right you are.  I don't know what I was thinking.

Oh, right.  Cionel Perez was the second Cuban on the team.

[MFS62]

I loved the guy- he was always ready to pitch, no matter what the role. He will be missed. 
later

[Edgy MD]

I imagine most are ready to pitch, no matter what the role.  It's just that they are loathe to change roles until they get to the fourth or fifth guy on the totem pole.

He was that guy.  To his credit, he prospered.

If they hadn't pitched him yesterday, he could have gone out a winner, taking the victory as he did in his previous outing, throwing a perfect seventh against the Braves in Game One of the doubleheader — getting Riley, Yastrzemski, and Bart on three consecutive pop-ups.

I'd bet he was one of the pop-uppiest guys in the league.

[seawolf17]

I love that you can actually easily find this stuff now thanks to Statcast.

He was 49th among all 209 MLB pitchers with at least 50 IP in Popup%, at 9%. But he was second among all Mets pitchers with at least 50 IP, behind Christian Scott at 10.9%.

The popuppiest Met? Guillo at 50%! Popped up two of the four batters he faced.

Others: Curry 13.9%, Myers 12.5%, Williams 11.9%, Gerber 9.1%.

(And interestingly, new Met Chayce McDermott is at 22.2% through his 10 inning this year.)

[Edgy MD]

So, not one of the very pop-uppiest, but meaningfully pop-uppier than the average bear.  I'll take it.

Go, Chayce McDermott!

[Frayed Knot]

Oh Huascar, Huascar, Huascar!

 

[Cowtipper]

I remember him being an odd-looking duck. Strange eyes. Also remember not being too impressed by him, save for this year. I was cautiously optimistic with him this year, expecting the rug to be pulled out from underneath us, but it never happened. I remember too many meltdowns and unimpressive performances. I didn't quite like his acquisition when we got him in 2024, and he proved why when he pitched that year. 2025 was better, but too inconsistent. I remember he started off insanely well  -- he had 1.62 ERA through his first 30 games. After that, his mark was 6.75. Unfortunately, that was from mid-June onward, so we had to deal with mediocrity for a while. 

In 2026, I was kind of rooting for him to make the All-Star team. 

[The Hot Corner]

Not the bullpen guy I expected to see moved in a deadline deal.  He was effective, low priced  & under contract for a few years to come.  He seemed like the Met reliever (not named Williams) most likely to remain with the team.  I guess the Mets figured his value was as high as it was ever going to be.  Return seems rather low.