Ryan Helsley calls out 'obvious' reason for struggles with Mets

Former Mets reliever Ryan Helsley reflected on why he struggled to perform after getting traded to New York.

Aug 4, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) reacts after the top of the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Mets fans don't need to be reminded that the trade deadline deal that brought former St. Louis Cardinals closer and 2024 NL Reliever of the Year Ryan Helsley to Queens did not work out as intended.

Helsley was brought in to serve as a high-leverage reliever for the Mets, helping bridge the gap between the rest of the relief corps and elite closer Edwin Diaz. And when New York's front office swung this trade in exchange for prospects Jesus Baez, Frank Elissalt, and Nate Dohm, it seemed like the Mets just secured the best 1-2 reliever punch in the National League right in time for the 2025 playoff push.

Read more: Brandon Nimmo reveals reason for waiving Mets no-trade clause

Helsley went on to have an abysmal two months for the Mets. While a 7.20 ERA in 20 innings pitched after the trade is ugly, there's a case to be made that he was even worse than that. This is because Helsley ultimately righted the ship in his final seven appearances (as shown by his 2.25 ERA in that span), but this mostly came after the Mets had already fallen out of playoff position and after Helsley had been removed from his high-leverage role.

Sep 12, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Helsley had a 10.38 ERA in his first 11 appearances with the Mets. This raised concerns, especially because Helsley's electric fastball was still topping out at 103 mph, which should not have been getting hit as hard as it was.

Then the Mets realized that Helsley had a “little tick” he made with his arms when coming set, as per an article from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. This tick varied depending on whether he was throwing a fastball or a slider, which essentially informed hitters what pitch he was about to throw.

While identifying this and working to eliminate it helped Helsley get back on track, it didn't end his struggles entirely.

Ryan Helsley Speaks on Pitch-Tipping Issue

Helsley was featured in a November 25 article from Katie Woo of The Athletic. When reflecting on the pitch-tipping issues he was faced with, Helsley said that it was "obvious" when looking back at film of himself, and believes he should have seen it sooner in hindsight.

The Mets also felt like a big reason for Helsley's struggles was that he was too predictable in terms of what pitches he threw in certain counts. They believe these two factors contributed to his problems producing for New York.

Roughly 15 teams have expressed various levels of interest in Ryan Helsley, one of the most coveted free-agent relievers available.

He's confident he's addressed what went wrong in New York. Based on his market, the industry feels the same:https://t.co/o4aLD0FR5T

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) November 25, 2025

Alas, identifying these issues in November doesn't do much. It certainly isn't going to make Mets fans eager to have Helsley back in their bullpen for 2026.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.