Yesterday’s start against the Phillies on Mother’s Day wasn’t an ordinary one for Bartolo Colon.
Colon, who lost his mother to breast cancer last year, says he dedicated his win to all mothers. (Michael Radano, MLB.com)
“It’s really special because it is Mother’s Day,” Colon said through an interpreter. “I just want to dedicate this to all the mothers that are not here and are in a better place. Just happy that it happened today.”
Colon wasn’t quite at his best on Sunday, but he still continued to pound the zone with strikes.
“I’m throwing strikes and attacking the zone,” Colon said. “They were swinging early in the count so they were helping a lot.
“When I was younger, I would see the [radar] gun, and every time it was about throwing hard. When I saw the 100 [mph], I was overthrowing. Now, I’m a more complete pitcher and it’s not about the velocity. It’s about execution.”
“When you play behind him you know he’s not walking anybody,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “So you better be ready because they are going to put the ball in play. That’s big when you are playing defense because you know you are going to be involved and they are ready to help. He’s a pro.”
Colon has been outstanding this year as he owns a sparkling 6-1 record with a solid 3.30 ERA.
He has also achieved several impressive accomplishments during his tenure as a Met.
- Colon is the first pitcher to win 6 games in the MLB this season.
- Colon’s 40-to-1 Strikeout to Walk Rate is the best through seven starts to begin a season since 1900.
- Colon has the second longest streak in Mets history without allowing a walk at 40.2 innings.
- Colon is tied with the 5th most wins in the National League since 2014 with 21.
- Colon reached the 200 win milestone in August 2014.
Thoughts:
Despite concerns over his age and injury history, Colon has been worth every penny of his two year, $20 Million dollar contract.
According to FanGraphs, Colon has been worth $28 million over the course of his contract prior to yesterday’s game.
Not only has he been a key contributor on the mound, but he provides the team with outstanding veteran leadership. Colon has been a great mentor to several of the team’s younger pitchers such as Jacob deGrom and Jeurys Familia.
The Mets took a gamble on giving Colon a guaranteed second year, but it is a risk that has paid off significantly.
