Ryan Helsley arrived at the New York Mets as one of the most promising acquisitions of the trade deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals. The reliever landed in Queens with high-caliber credentials as a two-time All-Star, 2024 Reliever of the Year and a 3.00 ERA with 21 saves before the trade, in theory what the bullpen needed.
But things have not gone as expected. In his first eight appearances with the team, Helsley has posted a worrying 7.11 ERA with costly errors at key moments. The contrast between his performance in St. Louis and his outings in New York has raised concerns among the coaching staff, who are beginning to question whether he will be able to successfully assume the role and the upcoming challenges in crucial games.
Carlos Mendoza on Ryan Helsley: “We haven’t had the performance we wanted”
In a recent interview with the Foul Territory channel, Carlos Mendoza, manager of the Mets, addressed the situation with Helsley frankly, in which he acknowledged that the team has been clear with the reliever since his arrival:
With Hels, we were very transparent, and he has to be given credit for that. He was willing to do whatever it took from the start
However, he also accepted that the results have not been as desired: “I feel like he’s adapted well. We haven’t had the performance that he wanted, that we wanted,” he said, referring to the inconsistency of the pitcher’s secondary pitches: “That slider has been getting hit because it stays in the middle-middle, especially when he’s ahead.”
Can Helsley regain his form with the Mets?
Despite the worrying figures, the manager maintains his vote of confidence in the reliever: “We’re not worried. Because, again, he’s an elite player. And he’s going to continue to get important outs for us,” Mendoza concluded, betting on a short-term recovery.
Helsley has shown a willingness to adjust to the team, even putting aside his usual role as a closer. With Edwin Diaz still struggling physically, the plan was for Ryan to cover the seventh through ninth innings, but to do so, the pitcher will need to regain accuracy and confidence, especially in breaking pitches
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