With spectators returning to New York venues in 2021, what better time for Dellin Betances to win over Mets fans after a disappointing debut?
The former Yankee reliever returned from an Achilles injury in 2020 to make his first appearance for the Mets, and it didn’t go well, with Betances allowing 10 earned runs and 12 hits across 11.2 innings, with a stint on the injured list due to right lat tightness sandwiched in between.
Betances is hoping his first full season with the Mets will offer him a new beginning, and a chance to return to his elite level that he enjoyed with the Yankees, when he eclipsed 100 strikeouts in five straight seasons, earning All-Star selections in four of those five years.
“For me, last year was a disappointing year,” Betances said. “Obviously I wasn’t healthy and it was a short season, it was a weird year for sure. So for me, yes, I definitely have something to prove.”
Health will be the first hurdle for Betances to prove he can clear, as he’s now battled injury since the start of the 2019 season, when shoulder and lat issues kept him off the mound until September, and just days later, the 32-year-old suffered a partially torn Achilles to end his season after just one appearance. His return in 2020 did not fare much better, landing on the IL in August shortly after throwing a wild pitch to allow his former team in the Yanks to celebrate a walk-off win over the Mets.
Now, with a new owner, plenty of new faces and a hopeful full season ahead, Betances hopes 2021 will be a chance to hit the reset button on his Mets tenure.
“This is pretty much a brand new team and I haven’t been able to pitch in front of the Mets fans at home,” Betances said. “So that’s something I’m looking forward to.
I’m excited.”
The Mets would certainly welcome the return of the old Betances, who averaged nearly 98 mph on his fastball in 2018, only to see that number drop to 93.6 in 2020. The Mets’ bullpen ranked 25th in the league in total WAR in 2019, per FanGraphs, and didn’t fare much better in 2020, ranking 21st overall. Betances, along with other struggling relievers like Edwin Diaz, will be crucial pieces to the team’s hopeful bullpen improvement in a year where the team carries division title hopes.
“I want to win the fanbase over,” Betances said. “I was able to do that with the Yankees, but I haven’t done nothing here with the Mets. So for me, I have to kind of win the fanbase over and just do my job. That’s the ultimate thing for me.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch