When the Mets failed to sign Brad Hand last offseason, they pivoted to a different lefty in Aaron Loup – and that move has paid huge dividends, as Loup is 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA and 0.926 WHIP in 49 2/3 innings, many of them high-leverage and/or seeing him tasked with getting out of big jams.
Mets fans are loving Loup…and the feeling is mutual, as the lefty told Mike Puma of the New York Post that he hopes his one-year, $3 million deal isn't the only one he signs in Queens.
"I am hoping they intend to sign me back," Loup said.
Loup is unscored upon in 50 of his 58 outings, including Wednesday night, and part of that comes from ranking in the 99th percentile in barrels against, according to Baseball Savant.
"He is just filthy," Seth Lugo told Puma. "When he goes in the game everybody knows that everyone is about to get out. I never really paid attention to him before. I saw him pitching a little bit last year in the postseason for the Rays a little bit, but I never realized how good he was until I watched him pitch this year."
Now, Loup is in the same bullpen with Hand, who was claimed off waivers from Toronto earlier this month, and Loup feels like coming down the stretch, the Mets' bullpen is well-stocked to push them towards the playoffs.
"Every night it's someone different. I have gotten out of big jams, [Jeurys Familia] has gotten out of big jams, Trevor May, Lugo, everybody. Then you add a guy like Brad Hand who has been a three-time All-Star and a closer, it seems like we can do no wrong at this point," he said. "This is definitely one of, if not the best bullpen I have been a part of, from start to finish. Everybody is having good years down there and has pitched out of big situations at some point, and it's never the same guy each night, which makes it fun."
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Hopefully, that means a lot more Busch Lights in postgame pressers…although don't expect an endorsement deal anytime soon.
"I have not," he said about investigating that possibility. "It's not from a lack of effort, but I also don't have social media, so I can't really push it so much."
And, as Puma followed up, perhaps that lack of social media is part of what is helping Loup thrive.
"That's probably a big part of it, to be honest with you," he said. "We have got to deal with enough on the field and everything throughout the course of the year. Social media to me is an added distraction that you don't necessarily need."
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