Joey Lucchesi Named International League Pitcher of the Week

The New York Mets will take starting pitching anywhere they can get it. Perhaps they might consider going back to one of their own, Joey Lucchesi.

Lucchesi was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He recorded a 1.32 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings in two starts with Triple-A Syracuse. Overall, in eight starts at that level, he has a 2.33 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and .198/.272/.347 slash line over 46 1/3 innings.

Coming off back-to-back rough outings from Kodai Senga and Carlos Carrasco, the Mets are once again in dire pitching straits. In any given turn of the rotation, at least two to three of the starters tend to pitch not just poorly but disastrously. With a pitcher throwing that well in the minors, maybe it’s time to give Lucchesi another shot.

However, the left-hander did not have the best experience the first time around. After his opening seven-inning, no-run performance against San Francisco, Lucchesi allowed 11 earned runs on 18 hits in his next 15 1/3 innings. Consistent with other Mets pitchers, the long ball also victimized him. He yielded four homers in 22 1/3 innings at a rate of 1.61 HR/9.

Still, with Carrasco scuffling, Justin Verlander up and down, Tylor Megill a home-road enigma, Max Scherzer on the downslide once more, and Senga inconsistent, the Mets could use an injection of something into their starting rotation. They will carry no illusions about the likelihood that Lucchesi can suddenly turn things around. Still, at least he’s had success somewhere.

Or maybe Lucchesi is destined to be a Quadruple-A pitcher. Time will tell.