Danny Young Proving To Be Valuable Left Handed Option

One of the areas the Mets aimed to improve this offseason was their left-handed bullpen options, having struggled in this aspect during the 2023 season, with Brooks Raley being the sole reliable lefty. To address this, the Mets signed Jake Diekman to complement Raley and a slew of other non-roster invitees, including Danny Young.

When Brooks Raley got injured, Diekman took over the primary left-handed role in the bullpen, leaving the secondary spot open. While Josh Walker performed decently, his performance wasn’t enough to secure the position, and with David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi transitioning to rotation roles, Danny Young seized the opportunity and has been a solid left-handed option for the time being.

Initially, the move seemed minor when the New York Mets signed him to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league camp. The 29-year-old pitcher had an impressive stint with the Braves last season, allowing just one run in 8 1/3 innings over eight appearances, with 11 strikeouts and only two walks. However, his 2023 season was cut short in June due to hip surgery.

Young has a career 2.45 ERA and a 48.8% ground-ball rate in 14 2/3 major league innings, having pitched for both the Braves and the Seattle Mariners. In Triple-A, he recorded a 4.70 ERA and an 11.4 K/9 rate over 113 innings across parts of four seasons.

Young, known for his unique arm angle, has a pitching repertoire that includes an 89 mph sinker and a 77 mph slider, which can be challenging for batters to judge. In a limited sample size this season, he has posted a 1.13 ERA, including a scoreless appearance with two strikeouts against Philadelphia in London on Sunday.

According to Baseball Savant, Young has excelled with a 42.6% chase rate, a 39.1% whiff rate, and a 31% strikeout rate. His sinker moves 19 inches away from right-handed batters and drops 31 inches, compared to the league averages of 15 and 24 inches, respectively. Right-handed hitters are batting .150/.261/.400 against him, slightly better than left-handed hitters, who are hitting .250/.333/.250.

Danny Young, Filthy 80mph 7 Time Zone Sweeper. ???? pic.twitter.com/yPaWTt0xO7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 9, 2024

While Jake Diekman has taken the lead on the left-handed side of the ball, Danny Young is currently showing that he can become another viable left-handed opinion out of the bullpen. With the team looking for anything to help stabilize the bullpen, Danny Young’s success is coming at a time when the team can potentially make a run back into the playoff hunt.

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