The front end of the Mets rotation is young and looks sharp. Even as a fan of the NY Mets, I take for granted how deep this pitching is, both in quality and in quantity.
Matt Harvey will lead fellow flame throwers Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler in a 1-2-3 punch that will buckle opposing lineups.
But if you’ve read any recent reviews on Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz , the two of thrm are storming the gates of an early call-up at some point this season.
Many feel both prospects already possess the ability to make hitters swing and miss, but there are salaries blocking those young arms in the event they’re ready. The general feeling is that Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Bartolo Colon will have to be moved first. Herein lies the risk/reward of proven performance at high salary versus sky high ceiling with league minimum salary.
What if Niese, Colon and even possibly Gee are pitching to their ceilings? Niese is no stiff, the man can sling a baseball and has been one of the best southpaws in the league over the last few years. Gee has pitched through some outstanding stretches at various points in his career. Colon is doing his thing, putting innings on his back and carrying a workload.
If the Mets can add another front end caliber pitcher at a time when one of the three backend starters is struggling though, financial reasons cannot be an impediment. The pitcher who gives the Mets the best chance to win more games should always be the choice.
According to Wally Backman, Matz is the best pitching prospect in the organization and one team official “half-jokingly” told Mike Puma (NY Post) that the 23 year old Long Island native would be his choice for Opening Day starter. He’s creating a ton of buzz for his maturity on the mound, keeping the ball down in the zone and flashing all the signs of a legit top rotation arm.
Syndergaard is still considered the crown jewel of the organization’s pitching surplus though and it’s due to his improvements over the offseason as well, both to his arsenal and his physical make-up. The 6’6 Texas native is listed at 240 lbs, but it looks like he put on some more muscle this offseason. His curveball and fastball are his two best commodities, but many believe his change-up has improved vastly.
Admittedly, I’m basing this off the fact that all five young pitchers (Harvey, deGrom, Wheeler, Matz and Syndergaard) stay healthy and continue progressing at their current rates. It’s one of those great problems to have, and one I believe the Mets will have to contend with this season.
Between the three veteran pitchers, there’s over $23 million in salary and the Mets will look to get as high a return as possible. That may mean keeping them in the rotation (or bullpen), regardless of performance.
Will the team pull out all the stops to ensure winning is the only goal this year, or can fans expect the team to try and save face in the event of an underperforming starter?
Here’s to the best men getting the job, for the love of the game, not the almighty dollar.
Lets! Go! Mets!
