Comments on: Finally, Jonathon Niese Gets It Together

By: VA Met Fan

VA Met Fan — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:31:39 +0000

Hopefully Warthen won’t be there to taint that generation of pitchers.

By: Alex68

Alex68 — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:01:38 +0000

This kid Will turn out to be a Cy Young contender… He’s looking more and more like a pitcher who will dominate for years to come… Sandy IMO did a good job locking him up now. Fingers cross that he, harvey and wheeler along with mejia. Fulmer, Mateo and more Pitching prospects become studs for us.

By: K Maxx

K Maxx — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 23:35:25 +0000

Why not wait until his new contract actually kicks in before you start passing around the cigars?

By: Original Mets Fan

Original Mets Fan — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:02:39 +0000

Probably the best signing this front office has made was that Niese extension. I almost decided not to watch last night’s game, but so glad I did. It was a treat to see Niece pitch that game.

By: Mr North Jersey

Mr North Jersey — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:35:05 +0000

I don’t know how much the financial security played a part but performances like last night is what the team hopes to see from him through the life of that contract.

Nice find on Niese’s record vs the Yanks & Nats Joe D.

By: Joe D

Joe D — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:21:37 +0000

Nice job, Mr. Metsimus.

I was actually in the throws of my own post on Niese this morning, but was glad to see you covered this perfectly as you always do.

I will share a few points that I started to write, here on this thread instead.

About a week before the season started, I discussed a few players that really needed to step up this season. They were Lucas Duda, Ike Davis and Jonathan Niese. Duda of course regressed mightily in 2012 and now finds himself pouting in Buffalo. And while Ike Davis’ home run numbers have been good to see, his .209 batting average keep me from calling his 2012 a huge success. But as the song says, one out of three ain’t bad. Or was that two out of three?

I wanted to see two things from Jonathan Niese this season; consistent quality starts being one of them, and avoiding any second half fatigue being the other. Houston, we have initiated and achieved a successful lift-off.

Consistent Quality Starts – After last night’s 2-0 win over the Nationals, Jon Niese has improved to 10-6 with an ERA of 3.49 in 152 innings this season. He has tossed a career-best 13.1 scoreless innings dating back to August 12 and has worked 7.0 innings or more in eight of his last 10 starts. Amazingly, Niese has now walked two or less batters in 14 straight starts. How is that for consistent quality starts?

Don’t Fade Away – Niese had a solid first half for the Mets positing a 3.73 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 17 starts spanning 103.2 innings pitched with 32 walks and 93 strikeouts. Surprisingly, he has surpassed every single pitching metric in seven second half starts. In 48.1 innings pitched, Niese has posted a remarkable 2.98 ERA and a scintillating 0.985 WHIP. He has held batters to a .233 average and is currently sporting a 6:1 K/BB rate.

Niese has stepped it up in a huge way and deserves credit for being one of the few Mets who haven’t let up after that amazing first half.

These last few tidbits are neither here nor there, but worth mentioning.

Niese has performed his best against some of the top teams in the league including the Yankees against who he’s pitched twice and held them to just a 1.35 ERA with 11 strikeouts and just two walks in 13.2 innings pitched.

Against the Washington Nationals he has two starts and in 14.1 innings pitched he’s posted a 0.63 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just two walks.