One of the highlights for the New York Mets last season was a double-header sweep of Atlanta anchored by future aces Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, who was making his major league debut.
If you weren’t reading about Harvey last summer you were reading about Wheeler. This spring most of the ink is going to Noah Syndergaard, whom the Mets expect will be in the major leagues in June if he continues to develop in Triple-A.
“That’s fine with me,’’ Wheeler told reporters Tuesday in Port St. Lucie when asked about the spotlight being on Syndergaard. “I don’t have to have all the attention.’’
Actually, in Wheeler’s perfect world, he would rather have little, if any. Wheeler is extremely quiet and shy, and if given the choice, he’d rather not talk if he didn’t have to.
Wheeler was 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA last season in 17 starts. Manager Terry Collins doesn’t presently see an innings limit on Wheeler, and believes his composure and natural stuff will enable him to progress.
Collins said at the Winter Meetings that Harvey showed he could make adjustments on the run and thinks Wheeler has that same capability.
Wheeler was matter-of-fact when asked yesterday what he needs to do to improve: “Just being more consistent, throwing more strikes and stuff.’’
Ask any veteran pitcher and he’d say the same thing. That’s one of the things the Mets like about Wheeler.
