The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

For Mets opponents, the revamped 2009 bullpen has been a nightmare of biblical proportion--quite a change from seasons past.

Now it's: "get to the starters or suffer your fate".

All told, the Mets have the best bullpen ERA in baseball at 1.80 (Seattle is second at 2.34 and the Yankees are fourth from last at 7.50). You can click here for the sortable major league bullpen stats.

The primary reason for this early success rests on the shoulders of four men.

First seal is opened : a white horse appears, its rider held a bow (conquest)

The Mets first horseman is Bobby Parnell. He throws hard; he challenges you; he wants the baseball. Having JJ Putz and Frankie Rodriguez tutoring him is a dream come true for this up and coming star.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	SV	HLD	BLSV	WHIP	ERA
Season	6	0	0	5.1	4	1	1	0	3	3	0	0	0	2	0	1.31	1.69
Career	12	0	0	10.1	7	4	4	0	5	6	0	0	0	2	0	1.16	3.48
Projected	88	0	0	74	59	15	15	0	44	44	0	0	0	29	0	1.31	1.69

Second seal is opened : a red horse appears, its rider holds a sword (war)

The second horseman is Sean Green. When the big trade was made, I wrote about Sean Green and our good fortune for getting him. He is Aaron Heilman and Joe Smith x 10. Green is another filthy reliever who simply got burned out last season. With 2 Holds already on the season, Mets fans have experienced what it's like to have a 7th inning guy who gets after hitters and doesn't mess around nibbling. His 8 Ks against 2 BBs is excellent.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	SV	HLD	BLSV	WHIP	ERA
Season	6	0	0	6.1	7	2	2	1	2	8	0	0	0	2	0	1.42	2.84
Career	166	0	0	185.1	198	96	88	8	85	138	9	7	1	35	7	1.53	4.27
Projected	88	0	0	88	103	29	29	15	29	118	0	0	0	29	0	1.42	2.84

Third seal is opened: a black horse appears, its rider holds a pair of scales (famine)

The third horseman is JJ Putz. Putz has stuff that rivals any closer in the game. He throws a 97 mph fastball and mixes in the best splitter I have ever seen (and that includes Mike Scott's). Moreover, he is selfless and has taken on his "Pre-Closer" role with the kind of grace and style that has already endeared him to both his teammates and the Mets faithful.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	SV	HLD	BLSV	WHIP	ERA
Season	7	0	0	7.0	3	1	1	0	3	3	1	0	0	3	0	0.86	1.29
Career	315	0	0	330.0	273	116	111	32	107	340	23	15	101	32	24	1.15	3.03
Projected	103	0	0	103	44	15	15	0	44	44	15	0	0	44	0	0.86	1.29

Fourth seal is opened : a pale horse appears, its rider is called Death

The fourth horseman is Frankie Rodriguez, and he is death to opponents. He loves his role as the Closer, and gives max effort and concentration against every batter. For all the talk from naysayers about his "K/9 and WHIP", he looks to be every bit what the Mets wanted--a dominant stopper with balls of steel. The guy looks like he was born to close in New York.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	SV	HLD	BLSV	WHIP	ERA
Season	6	0	0	5.2	2	0	0	0	2	9	0	0	3	0	0	0.71	0.00
Career	414	0	0	457.1	307	130	118	34	200	596	23	17	211	34	33	1.11	2.32
Projected	88	0	0	74	29	0	0	0	29	133	0	0	44	0	0	0.71	0.00