No matter how closely you follow the Mets this or any year, there’s always things to learn. On this list of 10 things – if you’re being honest with yourself there’s at least one thing you did not know yesterday. If you knew all 10 – drop me a note and come write for the site.

The Mets are 14-2 when Kirk Nieuwenhuis starts a game. It helps when you add a guy with an .882 OPS to the lineup and that’s what Nieuwenhuis has provided when his name is in the starting lineup. It’s unlikely that would continue if he were to start on a regular basis but it is another piece of evidence for those who think Nieuwenhuis should get more playing time.

It took 2:47 minutes yesterday for the Mets to play a 2-1 game in which the home team did not bat in the ninth. The Mets have played 142 games this year and 81 of them have been three hours or longer. The Mets have played 10 games that took four or more hours, including two that did not require extra innings.

We’re all familiar with Terry Collins trotting out onto the field whenever there’s a close play, looking into the dugout to see whether he should challenge the play or not. Either he’s getting bad advice from his coaches or he’s going off the reservation too many times, as Collins’ 48% success rate on challenges ranks in the bottom third of the league. Joe Girardi has been successful on 80% of his challenges. Overall, MLB managers are successful on 52.2% of their challenges.

One of the nice developments of this season has been the emergence of Jeurys Familia into a successful late-inning reliever. Earlier this year, he did a tremendous job of limiting baserunners, specifically by cutting down on his walks. But in his last 14 games, Familia has a 1.571 WHIP and has allowed 10 BB in 14 IP.

The biggest complaint about Zack Wheeler is that he throws too many pitches and doesn’t go deep enough into games. Only twice this year has Wheeler pitched seven innings or more. Yet Wheeler has gone deeper into the game than the opposing pitcher more often than not. In his 28 starts, Wheeler has outlasted the opposing pitcher 15 times and has been yanked first on nine occasions. Three times both starters pitched the exact same number of innings.

Bartolo Colon won his 13th game of the year Friday night. In their history, the Mets have had 17 seasons turned in by pitchers 40 or older and Colon’s 13 Wins rank tied for second in this group. Only 2006 Tom Glavine, who recorded 15 Wins, has more Wins in a season at this advanced age. Colon is tied with 2007 Glavine and 1999 Orel Hershiser.

In 576 PA this year, Curtis Granderson has not grounded into a double play. Currently, the Mets’ record by people who qualified for the batting title for fewest GDPs is held by three players who each finished the year with just three. However, neither Kazuo Matsui (2004) nor Wally Backman (1985) nor Mookie Wilson (1981) had as many PA as Granderson does this year. Matsui had 509, Backman had 574 and Wilson had 328 in the strike-shortened season.

Dilson Herrera hit in Hi-A and he hit in Double-A and so far he is carrying that into his time in the majors, too. There have been 22 position players to get a PA for the Mets this year and Herrera ranks fifth with a 1.9 offensive rating. The Dilson has an .886 OPS after 34 PA.

When you think of stats where speed plays an important role, two of the first ones to come to mind are stolen bases and triples. The Mets rank fourth in the NL with 93 steals but are dead last in triples with only 12. Juan Lagares and Eric Young Jr. have three triples apiece, Daniel Murphy has two and four others have one each, including the just-promoted Herrera.

Vic Black has the most games on the Mets without coming to bat. Black has come on in 39 games and has yet to visit the batter’s box. While that leads the Mets, it doesn’t even crack the top 100 in MLB this year. Cleveland’s Bryan Shaw has been in 71 games without a PA. Black’s 39 games ranks just 113th.

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