Oliver Perez has been the poster child of the Mets woes so far this season. His inconsistency has been a source of frustration, and he has been blamed for the Mets’ inability to put together a solid win streak.
His step backward after last year’s 15 win season may have been the straw that broke Rick Peterson’s back and cost the pitching coach his job.
That being said, a remarkable thing has happened since Oliver Perez has abandoned the philosophy and zen of Rick Peterson and adopted the more hands-on approach of new pitching coach Dan Warthen.
Oliver Perez has transformed himself into a more confident and a more dependable pitcher. He has raised the bar in terms of consistency and performance. He has become the pitcher the Mets always knew he could be.
In his last two starts, since switching to his new windup, Ollie has pitched 14 innings, and has allowed just one run and 10 base runners while striking out 14. Oh and one more thing… the Mets are 4–1 in his last five starts.
This could be the start of something big or maybe just another tease, but certainly it definitely bears watching.
Some may say trade Oliver Perez now while his value is swinging up, while others would argue keep him because he would be invaluable to a Mets pennant chase. Either way one thing is true, Oliver Perez has put the Mets in a better position than they were a month ago.
Great job Ollie!
