Scott Rice, Darin Gorski, Sean Gilmartin, Dario Alvarez or Jack Leathersich? Who will emerge this spring as the Mets second left-handed pitching option out of the bullpen to assist Josh Edgin? Make your pick.
Only one pitcher, Scott Rice, has any major league experience to speak off. A feel good story, after 14 years of trying in the minor leagues, Rice finally got his shot at the big leagues in 2013 and made good of the opportunity. Rice was a favorite option out of the pen for Terry Collins appearing in 73 games that year with a 3.71 ERA.
The magic was gone in 2014. Rice made the cut out of camp in the spring but his ERA exploded rising to 5.93 in 32 appearances with an inflated 1.98 WHIP before the Mets demoted him to Triple-A. No major league team took a flyer on Rice after the Mets removed the lefty reliever from the 40-man roster allowing the Mets to re-sign him to a minor league contract putting him in contention for a coveted bullpen spot this spring.
Darin Gorski is a long shot at best to make the Mets roster out of spring training. Gorski has dazzled in recent years as a starter in Binghamton but that success has not translated into success at Triple-A. It seems unlikely Florida baseball will provide Gorski the kind of audition he would need to impress Met brass that he’s the guy who can make a difference in the Met pen.
Perhaps the most intriguing guy of the bunch, Sean Gilmartin was picked up by the Mets from Minnesota in this winter’s Rule 5 draft. That means to keep Gilmartin, the Mets need to keep the left-hander in Citi Field during the entire 2015 season. That in itself could give Gilmartin, a former number 1 draft pick of the Braves and a pitcher who profiles somewhat like Gorski, a slight edge. Gilmartin might fill multiple roles as a spot starter when needed, a long reliever, and someone to face just one batter to end a late inning threat.
An other-worldly 2014 minor league campaign places Dario Alvarez in the mix. Nothing in Alvarez’s minor league professional career would have predicted the success he attained last spring and summer. In fact after three less than stellar years pitching in the minors for the Phillies, Alvarez dropped out of affiliated baseball for three years.
The Mets signed Alvarez in 2013 and he made 12 starts for Brooklyn in the NY/Penn League. Alvarez opened some eyes this spring pitching in Savannah throwing 61.1 innings as both a starter and reliever compiling a 7-1 record with a 1.32 ERA. Even more impressive was Alvarez’s 95 strikeouts against just 14 base-on-balls. Those numbers saw Alvarez elevated first to St. Lucie and then to Binghamton where combined he pitched 12 innings without allowing a run, striking out 19 and walking just 3. Next, in a dizzying summer, Alvarez arrived at Citi Field. In a minuscule edition, Alvarez pitched only 1.1 innings, but it didn’t go well as he allowed two runs. Where Alvarez stands on the depth chart is anybody’s guess.
Finally, enter Jack Leathersich either the wild card or the joker of the lefty relief deck. Leathersich intrigues Met fans with his lively left arm, his deceptive delivery and his off the charts strikeout per nine inning ratio. Over four years in the Met system as a professional pitcher, Leathersich has amassed a 15.2 SO9 average. Those numbers have only once dipped below 15.0, that during a short stay in Las Vegas in 2013 when Leathersich struck out 14.6 batters every 9 innings.
But, Leathersich has battled to command the strike zone with a WHIP that swings up and down like a yo-yo. Like Gorski, his best performances have taken place in Binghamton with Las Vegas proving to be a major obstacle. An inability to command the strike zone minimizes the effectiveness of Leathersich’s fastball necessitating the need for improved secondary pitches Leathersich is acutely aware of his need to get ahead of batters and cut down on his walk totals to make a run at the major league roster.
So, who will it be? From my point of view, I’m hoping the Mets don’t fall back into the old Terry Collins ‘we have to go with someone who has been there before’ mode. That simply hands Rice the job. My gut tells me Rice has had his gig, and we need to move in another direction.
Of the remaining four candidates, Gilmartin is probably the favorite. It might be prudent to give the former number one pick an extended look just to evaluate his long-term potential to the franchise. I can’t argue that a nod towards the newcomer makes perfect business sense.
But, with the Mets on the cusp of potential upward movement that might place them into postseason contention, Jack Leathersich is the kind of loose cannon history has shown can turn a baseball team’s fortune’s around, that shot n the dark that every so often turns into a winning ticket.
Why not? Leathersich’s strikeout potential is undeniable, a huge asset for a one-batter option entering a game in the late innings out of the bullpen. Power pitching out of the pen is redefining baseball. Leathersich can be electric on the hill providing the Mets with one more bullet in their power armed relief ammo. Here’s hoping the Mets give Leathersich more than three or four innings in Florida to prove his worth.
May the best man win. Who do you choose?
