In a feature for ESPN Insider, Buster Olney ranked the top 10 starting rotations in baseball.
He ranks the Washington Nationals at No. 1 and the Los Angeles Dodgers right behind them at No. 2.
Olney placed the Mets rotation at No. 5 in the majors but also added that it could develop into the top rotation in the majors. Here’s what he wrote:
“Matt Harvey was out all of last season following Tommy John surgery, and yet the Mets’ starters still had a respectable 3.66 ERA, thanks in part to Jacob deGrom developing into one of the best rookie starters in recent years and the strong progress of Zack Wheeler in the second half, when he posted a 3.09 ERA. Now Harvey is due back, and it’s very possible that if Harvey comes even close to what he was before he got hurt in 2013, the Mets’ group has a chance to develop into the best in the majors.”
“Some combination of Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Bartolo Colon and Rafael Montero will round out the Mets’ rotation, and 22-year-old top prospect Noah Syndergaard is likely to reach the majors at some point this year.”
The 2015 ZiPS Projections for the Mets were rolled out today on FanGraphs, and they play out very well for our guys.
It’s nice to see such a strong projection for Matt Harvey and a nice followup season for Jacob deGrom. Only Gee and Colon are projected to have an ERA over 4.00 and there’s a good chance neither are here by the All Star break if not sooner. The top six on the list, which includes Matz and Syndergaard, all have a strikeout percentage over 20. Pretty snazzy if you ask me. LGM
