The New York Mets pitching staff is among the most dominant in the major leagues. They currently rank fourth in the majors with a 3.10 ERA, behind the Cubs, Nationals and White Sox. Kevin Kernan of the New York Post takes a look at the impact Bartolo Colon has had on the Mets’ young rotation.
The rotation has allowed fewer homers (23) and walks (23) than any other group of starters in baseball. The Mets starters are anything put predictable, something not too common for a power pitcher. They all have numerous weapons to use and not just their high velocity fastballs. Atlanta Braves third-base coach believes it’s the competition between them that keeps them all so sharp.
“All of them have plus velocity, and from a makeup standpoint I think they all feed off each other,’’ Porter said. “There is a competitiveness, not that they are trying to outdo each other, there is a competitiveness where they push each other to be their best.”
“You have plus velocity, but they are not throwers, they are actually pitchers. They have command, they have secondary stuff, so they are not young kids that are just basically airing it out, they actually plus-and-minus their fastball like Matz did going from 91 to 96. They all do that. So they’ve learned how to pitch with their plus velocity.”
Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz. Those are the names you see synonymous with this rotation. Colon though is anything but a forgotten part of this tandem. He has become a true mentor for all four of these young guns, and who better than someone who has been around in this league for 19 seasons and still shows his ability to fool opposing lineup’s with pinpoint control.
“Bartolo is our leader out there, he’s amazing to watch,’’ Syndergaard said. “The amount of fun he has out there, he understands it’s a game. I feel that some people forget that it is a game because it is our profession, but at the same time you got to keep it nice and loose and relaxed, just like Bart does. That is something you take away from watching him.’’
There may not be a more enjoyable player to watch right now than Colon. Whether it be at the plate trying to keep his helmet on, behind the back throws after fielding a grounder up the first base line or painting the corners of home plate like he is his prime all over again, Colon is always entertaining.
“Bart has proven that it’s not about having a plus fastball, it’s about pitching, location, changing speed, Syndergaard said. That is something we can all learn from him, especially me because I tend to be a little too gung-ho about throwing fastballs at times. We all compete amongst ourselves in that we want to push each other to be a little bit better to become a better pitcher each and every day. At the same time, we all get along great, there is a sense of unity and brotherhood among all of us.’’
Bartolo Colon is the godfather of this staff. Who better to learn from than a man who has endured almost two decades in this league to much success. It is only with hope that the Mets’ young rotation can last just as long as Bart has with such great accomplishment.
