Opening Day 2015 has finally arrived! After an off-season of anticipating the 2015 rotation, wondering what was going to happen with the shortstop, trying to figure out why Fred Wilpon would be named to the head of the MLB Financial Committee, stressing about Wheeler, stressing about the Opening Day starter, stressing about left handed relievers, and wondering what the mystery structure in the Citi Field parking lot is we have made it to Opening Day. Take a bow.
The Nationals were a huge thorn in the side of the Mets in 2014 getting 4 wins in 19 games. While the Nationals are the heavy favorites for the NL East (with very good reason, their rotation and lineup are stacked) the Mets have an opportunity early to establish a new trend as the two teams play 7 times in the first 4 weeks of the season.
Bartolo Colon will get the start for the Mets today. While there was some controversy around whether he should start, and while he probably is the least exciting or near the least exciting pitcher in the Mets rotation he surprisingly put up some very good numbers last year. He led the team with 15 wins over 31 starts and he had a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.03.
In raw numbers over 202 innings, Colon struck out 151 batters while only walking 30. However in raw numbers he also allowed 22 homers. Overall last year he was 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA over 202.1 innings and against the Nationals he was 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA over 30.0 innings.
The Nationals have the following numbers against Bartolo:
- Escobar 6-14
- Desmond 4-12, 2 HR
- Rendon 4-13, HR
- Werth 4-9, 2 2B
- Harper 1-10
- Ramos 2-11, 2B
The Mets bats will draw the new Nationals ace of the 2015 season. One of the main strengths of the Nationals prior to 2015 was their rotation, but they went out and got Max Scherzer anyway (which provides future protection in case they cannot retain Jordan Zimmermann). Max Scherzer has lead the American League in wins the last two season putting up 21 in 2013 when he won the Cy Young and 18 last year.
Overall last year he went 18-5 in Detroit over 33 starts and 220.1 innings with a 3.15 ERA. The last time he faced the Mets was in 2013 where he pitched 6.0 scoreless innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks and striking out 11 batters (seriously).
The Mets have the following numbers on Max:
- Cuddyer 4-17, 2B, HR
- Granderson 4-15, HR
- Murphy 2-8
- Flores 0-2
- Lagares 0-2
- Wright 0-2
Here are the Starting Lineups:
New York Mets
- Curtis Granderson, RF
- David Wright, 3B
- Lucas Duda, 1B
- Michael Cuddyer, LF
- Daniel Murphy, 2B
- Juan Lagares, CF
- Travis d’Arnaud, C
- Wilmer Flores, SS
- Bartolo Colon, RHP
Washington Nationals
- Michael Taylor, CF
- Yunel Escobar, 3B
- Bryce Harper, RF
- Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
- Wilson Ramos, C
- Ian Desmond, SS
- Dan Uggla, 2B
- Tyler Moore, LF
- Max Scherzer, RHP
Let’s Go Mets!
(Check out 213 Miles From Shea for Mets talk including a review of six different projections for almost all of the 2015 Mets!)
