Lost in all the excitement of the Mets 14-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night, was yet another solid relief outing by Erik Goeddel.
Goeddel, 26, tossed two more scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. He has yet to allow a run in 13 appearances out of the bullpen this season spanning 11.1 innings.
A 24th round pick for the Mets in 2010, Goeddel has made the most out of his opportunity since being called up on April 8, after the Mets placed Jenrry Mejia on the DL.
The team is so impressed with Goeddel’s poise, command, and guile on the mound, that Marc Carig of Newsday is reporting that he may be moving into an expanded and more significant role in the the Mets’ bullpen.
“He’s done very well,” manager Terry Collins said. “We’re going to start using him in a little bit higher-leverage situations because we think he’s a guy who can get a strikeout when you need it.”
The young right-hander has held opposing hitters to a .179 batting average and more impressive than that, he has not allowed a hit in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
His improved command of the fastball has enabled Goeddel to better set up his curveball and splitter – a splitter which Carig calls a “dangerous weapon” that is generating a remarkable 36 percent swing-and-miss rate.
Look for Goeddel to slide into a similar role to Buddy Carlyle, who was recently placed on the DL with a sore back.
I believe the Mets have found themselves a solid young pitcher with a real live arm and the temperament you want to see in a late game reliever. I like this kid a lot.
