Mets' bullpen leads league in this brutal statistic

The New York Mets' bullpen has not performed up to snuff throughout the season.

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By most statistics, the New York Mets have had a solid bullpen throughout the 2025 season, landing inside the top half of most statistics, which would insinuate they are an above-average unit.

Their relief pitchers have compiled a combined ERA of 3.76, which is fourth in the National League and 11th in baseball. But they are also third in innings pitched with 464 innings, which is an indictment on the inability of their starting pitchers to work deep into games, putting a lot of pressure on them to perform.

That overworking appears to be taking a toll on the group, with them being middle-of-the-pack in WHIP and opposing batting average. The Mets are fifth in MLB with 35 saves, but are also tied for first with 55 save opportunities. The 63.6% conversion rate leaves a lot to be desired, and is likely a big reason why general manager David Stearns focused on improving the bullpen so much ahead of the trade deadline, especially when the starting pitching market was proving to be too costly.

New York acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles, right-hander Tyler Rogers from the San Francisco Giants, and right-handed closer Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals. That trio will help bridge the gap to star closer Edwin Diaz, joining Reed Garrett as trusted late-inning arms for manager Carlos Mendoza to work with when figuring out the best way to navigate matchups.

Mets bullpen has been prone to meltdowns this season

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New York certainly needed an infusion of new talent to its bullpen to get through the regular season because their relief staff is leading the MLB in one brutal stat, as shared by ESPN's Paul Hembekides on X.

The Mets, entering play on August 11, were leading baseball with 74 bullpen meltdowns, per FanGraphs; they still remain atop the league with the same amount entering play on Wednesday. A meltdown is defined as, “Any relief appearance in which a pitcher caused his team's WPA to decrease by at least . 06.”

Most bullpen meltdowns this season
(via @fangraphs):

1. Mets — 74
2. Yankees — 73
Tax payrolls: $339M & $317M

Some things in baseball money can’t buy.pic.twitter.com/eEwGOdvRhq

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) August 11, 2025

Huascar Brazoban has the most meltdowns on the team with 13, which is tied for the third most in MLB behind only Jake Bird, who was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the New York Yankees ahead of the deadline, and Jose A. Ferrer of the Washington Nationals.

Two other players have recorded double-digit meltdowns for New York in 2025; Garrett and Jose Butto, who both have 10 on the year. The latter was traded to the Giants as part of the Rogers deal.

Helsley had only six such outings with the Cardinals upon being acquired, while Rogers had five with San Francisco and Soto had 11 with the Orioles. Soto's propensity to blowup will likely have him pitching in lower-leverage situations with the Mets, but Mendoza should have a lot of confidence in Helsley and Rogers getting the job done late in games along with Diaz.

With a bullpen this prone to momentum shifts as a result of a bad inning or two, New York has slumped hard lately, with their win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday snapping a seven-game losing streak. If the Mets want to fulfill the championship aspirations they've had this year, they need the bullpen to buckle down and avoid these blowups, especially as every game becomes more meaningful.