Chasen Shreve made his return to NY baseball but this time it was with the New York Mets. Shreve came in with low expectations but ended up becoming one of the key relievers in the bullpen. His rediscovered split-finger was revived and it helped guide him to success.
Chasen Shreve, de-batting Splitter.
Dugout view is ? pic.twitter.com/Uk2rnPViC4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 18, 2020
Shreve pitched multiple innings early in the season and his success made him a valuable long man option for manager Luis Rojas. Shreve was also a nightmare against lefties, they had a better chance of walking than getting a hit. They hit just .063 with both hits coming as home runs, making it a real hit or miss against Shreve.
Diamond in the Rough
The Mets were careful to limit his usage due to 9 of his first 13 outings being four outs or more. It paid great dividends as he had a 1.99 ERA in 25.1 innings with 29 strikeouts and a .167 batting average against. Shreve’s newfound role caught up to him as he allowed seven runs (six earned) in his final four innings.
For a pitcher who only threw in the low 90s, Shreve’s fastball was a good one. Batters only hit .206 but it was where Shreve was hurt the most, with a .506 slugging. The split-finger was his out pitch, resulting in a 55.1% whiff rate and 28 of his 36 strikeouts. The xba was .156 and was his equalizer for having a lack of velocity.
Shreve’s success is sustainable because his 3.99 FIP was almost equal to his 3.96 ERA and his contact rates were on par with the majority of his career. The Mets should give Shreve another opportunity to earn a role in the bullpen. He will be under contract for one million dollars in 2021.
2020 Grades On 20-80 Scale (2021 Projection)
Fastball: 65 (55), His key was his ability to move it in and out of the zone. The lower locations also helped him as well.
Split-Finger: 80 (80): Almost 50 inches of drop according to baseball savant.
Slider: 45 (35), Only threw 34 of them and mainly to lefties.
Command: 55 (50), Good command of the split but still 4.3 BB/9.
Overall: 60 (55), Hope he remains in the bullpen for 2021.