The official word will come tomorrow, but Bartolo Colon will get the Opening Day for the Mets against the Washington Nationals in D.C., and Jacob deGrom is slated to get the home opener a week later, organization sources told ESPN.com.
At 41 years, 317 days old, Bartolo Colon will become the Mets’ oldest Opening Day starter, surpassing Tom Glavine who was 41 years, 7 days old in 2007.(ESPN)
Colon went 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA a season ago. He logged 200 innings for the first time since winning the AL Cy Young in 2005. This would be Colon’s seventh career Opening Day start — the most recent having come in 2006 with the Los Angeles Angels. (ESPN)
When the Mets announce their full rotation tomorrow I will update this post, but it looks like Colon, deGrom, Harvey, Niese, Gee.
But seriously, I don’t even care anymore who starts when. As long as we get 32 starts from Harvey, deGrom and Niese, and 15 from Syndergaard and Matz, I’m in Mets heaven…
March 21
As I suspected, Bartolo Colon will be the Mets Opening Day starter. Multiple team sources confirmed as much to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
The Mets adjusted Colon’s final two spring-training starts by a day so he can avoid facing the Nationals and give them an extended look before the season opener.
So Colon’s next Grapefruit League start will come in a minor league game next week, and perhaps his final spring start as well.
He still remains lined up for Opening Day on April 6.
Colon had his best start of the spring on Friday, tossing 4.2 innings against the Cardinals and striking out five batters while allowing two runs on six hits and a walk.
“I thought he made some really, really good pitches,” Terry Collins said. “That’s what you want to see out of him. He just continues to pitch to the corners and the four quadrants.”
“He knows what he’s doing. He’s right on track to have another big year.”
In case you’re wondering, and I know you are, Colon faced the Nationals five times last season, going 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a .816 OPS Against.
March 19
While manager Terry Collins says he has yet to make a decision for Opening Day starter and that it’s between Jacob deGrom, Jon Niese, or Bartolo Colon, the way he lined up his rotation says the decision has already been made.
Thursday vs. Houston Astros: Dillon Gee
Thursday at St. Louis Cardinals: Jon Niese
Friday vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Bartolo Colon
Saturday at Detroit Tigers: Noah Syndergaard
Sunday vs. New York Yankees: Matt Harvey
With the off day on Wednesday, Collins lined up his rotation that sets up Colon for the Opening Day start on April 6, followed by Harvey and deGrom pitching the second and third game of the opening series in Washington against the Nats.
If you do the math, this configuration also sets up Matt Harvey to pitch the home opener at Citi Field on April 13.
By the way, I like the idea of Harvey pitching against the Yankees on Sunday, should be fun to watch.
As for the Opening Day start, who pitches that day really makes no difference in the grand scheme of things, and given that Colon has more MLB seniority than anyone else on the team, it’s likely a gesture of respect.
What’s important to me, and it’s the same thing I’ve been hammering home for the last three months, the Mets need to beat the Nationals if they expect to have any chance at a wild card this year. Taking two out of three against them to open the season would send a loud message to the Nats and the rest of the NL East. And that is, we’re not the same old Mets. We’re better, we’re badder, and we’re coming after you.
