SNY TV analyst Ron Darling, who was part of a 1986 Mets rotation that featured the likes of the great Dwight Gooden, Bobby Ojeda and Sid Fernandez, had some very impressive things to say about the current Mets starting rotation.
Darling believes that Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and next year, Zack Wheeler, could end up being the best starting rotation ever if they remain healthy and consistent over a long stretch. Not only b ecause of their talent and stuff, but the depth of it as well.
“I’ve honestly never seen a staff this deep,” said Darling on ESPN Radio Wednesday.
“Give me your best six years and tell me what they look like. And they’re all in their first or second or third years. Until you see six years of a body of work, whether it was Sid Fernandez, Dwight Gooden or myself, that’s where you can judge.”
“That’s when you see: Did they make 30 starts every year? Did they pitch 200 innings every year? Did they do what they’re doing right now over a six-year period? We won’t know. But I don’t know what could stop them other than injury. They’re going to be one of the greatest staffs ever, barring anyone getting hurt.” (NJ.com)
Ron Darling certainly hasn’t been the first one to praise and rave about the current Mets staff
John Mayberry Jr, who played for the Mets this year but was designated for assignment when the Mets brought in Michael Conforto, played for the Phillies back when they had a rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Mayberry believes that this Mets staff is even more talented than that great Phillies rotation he played.
John Smoltz, who was part of that Braves 90s rotation along with fellow Cy Young winners, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and is considered one of the best all time, also believes this current Mets staff is better. A huge compliment on his part.
Yesterday, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com asked four MLB scouts: “Which rotation is the best in baseball? The Nationals or Mets?” All of them unanimously chose the Mets.
“Are you kidding me?” one gulped. “I wouldn’t even compare them, with all due respect to the experience factor in Washington. I don’t see how anyone could say, even on paper, that the Nationals have a better staff. And you can throw a healthy Stephen Strasburg and onrushing phenom Lucas Giolito in there, and I’d still say the Mets.”
Another one said, “How can you not buy stock in the Mets?They’ve got more top-of-the-rotation starters now – and they’re not going anywhere. If they all stay healthy, they’re going to have three years of having all five guys in their rotation be so good that the LOWEST grade you could give them is a No. 2 starter. You know how many clubs are using a No. 3 as their No. 1? And the Mets will have five who are better than that.”
Thoughts from Joe D .
I truly believe that what we are seeing now is historic. As all the others above mentioned much of this is dependent on health and consistency. But you have to be absolutely insane not to be incredibly excited about this pitching staff and where we are potentially going with it.
For five long years, we’ve been told that this young, great pitching was on its way and to be patient. And now that it’s arrived never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that it would be this good.
Most scouts were severely underrating Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz. They had those three pegged at somewhere between a three to a four type starter. It was Zack Wheeler who was going to be the best of them all, and who knows, that could still happen which is pretty damn amazing. But along with Noah Syndergaard the Mets have five guys who could be aces on any championship caliber team.
Besides health and consistency however, there is one other thing that I think about and that is will we be able to keep this rotation intact once arbitration and free agency beckons?
For now it’s something to just keep filed in the back of our heads while we enjoy the next three seasons with what should be some jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing starting pitching. And hopefully that will include a couple of championships as well.
The next few years could be unprecedented in baseball, and certainly well worth the wait it took. It’s stupendously thrilling and fantastically exciting to think about that. Relish what is happening now in Flushing.
