Right-hander Logan Verrett tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief on Tuesday night to pick up his third win of the season – and second in as many days – in the Mets 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.
Verrett lowered his ERA to 0.55 for the season and has now tossed 15.1 consecutive scoreless innings dating to April 13, which is a new career-high. His WHIP now stands at 1.10 and he’s held opposing batters to a .211 batting average and .298 slugging percentage.
And the beat goes on for Logan Verrett, who has become a key piece in the Mets bullpen, giving them a reliable spot starter and an effective reliever who can give them innings. Quite the find…
Original Article – April 26
On Wednesday, Logan Verrett pitched six scoreless innings against at the Miami Marlins. Verrett allowed three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. It was a remarkable start for a pitcher who was never supposed to be here.
Heading into the 2015 season, the Mets declined to put Verrett on the 40 man roster thereby exposing him to the Rule 5 draft. He was subsequently selected by the Baltimore Orioles, but they soon waived him early in Spring Training when it was apparent he was not making their team.
The 24-year old right-hander was quickly picked up by the Texas Rangers, and Verrett impressed them enough to even earn a spot on their Opening Day roster and make his MLB debut.
As a matter of fact, Verrett became the first draft pick from Sandy Alderson’s tenure with the Mets to reach the major leagues.
However, his stay in Texas would be very short-lived. Verrett struggled through four relief appearances with the Rangers, allowing six runs on 11 hits and four walks in nine innings. Verrett was offered back to the Mets, and the 2011 third round selection was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Verrett first came up with the Mets in June to help an exhausted bullpen. He would pitch 12.1 innings over the course of six appearances and post a sterling 0.73 ERA and 0.649 WHIP. Batters were only able to hit .100/.178/.100 against him, and he recorded his first MLB save. Despite this stellar performance, he would be sent back down to the minors to make room for Jenrry Mejia, who was returning from his first PED suspension.
In Verrett’s second stint with the Mets in August, he would further prove his value. With the organization needing to keep their young pitching staff fresh for the postseason, especially Matt Harvey, Verrett was called upon to make some spot starts.
In his first major league start, he wowed everyone with a spectacular performance, firing eight shutout innings against the Rockies in Coors Field of all places. He would follow that up with a couple a relief appearances and another strong spot start against the Miami Marlins.
In total, Verrett would pitch in 14 games with the Mets in his rookie season, while making four important spot starts. He was 1-1 with one save, a 3.03 ERA, and a 0.879 WHIP. In a season of incredible performances from a myriad of players, it was easy to overlook his considerable contributions during the Mets’ NL championship season.
In 2016, Verrett made the Opening Day roster, and he’s back to doing what he does best – pitching in whatever role the Mets need. In his spot start in place of the ailing Jacob deGrom, Verrett threw six shutout innings. Not only did he help prevent the Mets from getting swept by the Marlins, but he also pitched somewhat deep into the game to give a fatigued Mets bullpen some much needed rest.
“He stepped up and gave us exactly what we needed,” Terry Collins said about his versatile righty. “When you need a start, he gives you a good one.”
“Logan means a lot to the whole club,” Collins continued. “We know there’s going to be a day where someone shows up sick who’s supposed to pitch, and hopefully this guy’s rested enough. If you need somebody, he can step in and do the job.”
With Jacob deGrom slated to rejoin the rotation and start Sunday against the Braves at Turner Field, Logan Verrett will slide into a long relief role in a very talented Mets bullpen. And you can bet he’ll be ready the next time the Mets call upon him to give them a start at a moment’s notice. His value to the team no longer flies under the radar.
