Kenneth Teape | Empire Writes Back- One of the biggest issues during the stretch run for the Mets has been the pitching limits for their younger players, namely Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. One player that people are not talking about potentially needing rest is Jacob deGrom. deGrom, who won the NL Rookie of the Year last season, looked to be in the Cy Young running just a month ago, but he has quickly fallen out of that race. deGrom has looked very human recently after being superhuman through most of the season. Over [his] last five starts, deGrom has seen his ERA go from 1.98 to 2.64, as his ERA in the five games is 6.43.
(Chris Soto: The club NEEDS to find a way to give deGrom some rest. After averaging 96 mph with his fastball for most of the season, we saw deGrom's heater lose a ton of life during yesterday's start as he was only popping them in there at 92 to 93 mph. deGrom's strength is the combination of velocity and movement with his 4-seamer, However when the velocity drops...it takes the movement with it and that is currently making it easier for opposing batters to drive the ball.)
Dan Martin | New York Post- It looks like it may be a race to the finish to see who gets home-field advantage in the NLDS between the Mets and the Dodgers. “We have talked to the guys during our meetings, the importance of each and every game, but also getting home-field advantage,” Collins said.“They’re well aware of it. We play pretty good here. We’d like to open up here.” Not only are the Mets significantly better at home (46-25) than on the road (37-37), but Collins pointed to some other aspects of why starting a series at Citi Field would be beneficial.“It beats facing those two guys, those two animals, out there in the shadows,” Collins said of Dodgers starters Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. “That’s not very much fun. If we get in, I’d like to open here.”
(Chris Soto: Collins is 100% right here....It's looking extremely likely that the Mets will face the Dodgers in the 1st round of the playoffs, and if that is the case, I would not want to face Kershaw and Grienke IN Los Angeles. Statiscally speaking, Grienke this season has not show any Home/Away splits, however, in his career, his ERA is 0.68 runs higher per 9 innings. As for Kershaw, his ERA at home this season is 1.40.....his ERA on the road, 2.82, a massive difference. This is not a 1 year outlier either as his career ERA is 0.84 runs higher on the road then it is at home.)
David Lennon | Newsday- Six days between starts feels like an eternity. But Steven Matz has been spending the extra time this week in pitching coach Dan Warthen's bullpen laboratory, tuning up for Friday's start against the Yankees -- and working toward solidifying his spot in the Mets' playoff rotation. As the Mets use September to evaluate candidates for the playoff roster, Matz has the potential to be one of their most valuable assets. He has no innings restrictions, and they believe he's got the perfect mental makeup for the spotlight.
(Chris Soto: Steven Matz is an extremely valuable wild card for the Mets right now. Unlike Harvey, Thor, and deGrom....Matz has plenty of innings left in his arm; he is also left-handed, something the Mets are extremely short on especially with Niese struggling in the rotation. For Matz, he's not only trying to win....he wants a spot on the playoff rotation. While I personally think it is a long-shot, with Colon pitching well and having the only playoff experience amongst the Mets SP, if Matz finishes the rest of September on fire....Terry Collins is going to be hard pressed NOT to have him make a start; ESPECIALLY since a majority of the Dodgers line-up is left handed. Just look at the box score below....Seager and Schebler are not playoff eligible so you swap them with Jimmy Rollins and Carl Crawford and you have 7 guys who are lefties or switch hitters who's OPS splits are lower against lefties. The only RHB in the line-up is Justin Turner!)
11 comments:
Talking about Steve Matz in the playoffs - it is weird to think that he pitched for my then-neighborhood high school and I had no idea Met greatness was developing right on my doorstep.
Rest...Jake...one...start. Look what it did for Thor. If we don't get home field because jake is rested so be it.
I still hate the idea of playing the Yanks more than 3 times per year, especially when both are at the critical point in a pennant race.
I always think that the Yankees series sort of revivifies the club, gets the juices flowing over the course of an awfully long season. It's good for the players. I am more troubled and bored by 18 games against the Miami Marlins.
On Jake: Alderson spoke about hoping to give Jake a blow about two weeks ago, and I think the club is in line to do that. I believe Teape is uninformed.
Was Seger not on the 40 man roster on August 31st? If so that was very dumb of the Dodgers?
@Zozo
Seager was not called up until September 3rd
Now that said....The Dodgers can petition to the Commissioner's office that Seager is an injury replacement for someone who is injured....i.e. Howie Kendrick, Kike Hernandez, Yasiel Puig....etc
I don't know about a petition but I thought as long as you were on the 40 man you could be switched in.
@Zozo
You are correct....but Seager was not on the 40 man either.
I always have felt that a baseball team should take their best 25 players into the playoffs.
That would include the best 12 pitchers.
Steven Matz is one of the Mets best 12 pitchers.
Mack, if I am correct, aren't teams able to change who is on the 25 man series by series? If so, I'd only take 11 pitchers in the first round, because:
1) they'd be off Mon-Thurs after season ends, with game 1 on Friday
2)the 5 game series would have two off-days (11th and 14th), and assuming they advance, the 16th is an off day before next series.
So that is 7 days off in the span of 12 days. With all that rest time, seems they'd be better off with 14 position players.
Whether 11 or 12 pitchers, Matz is on my post-season roster all the way.
BTW, I can't believe game 7 of the World Series could be Nov 4 - the parade could conflict with holiday shopping!!
Can't take 12 pitchers without leaving off a valuable and necessary bat.
11 pitchers is enough -- even for a 7-game series.
Right now, deGrom desperately needs to be skipped. He's simply not the same pitcher that he was for the first 5 months of the season. After a two week shut down during the AS break last year, he didn't miss a beat and earned that ROY award.
Matz has the ability to be the Mets' MVP during the post season and I'd be shocked if he isn't one of their starters come the post season.
I'd pitch deGrom, Harvey/Colon, Matz, Thor, and I'd do it in that order. I don't know what Harvey's availability will be which is why I have him and Colon together.
If I have to, I'd stick Thor in the bullpen. I think Matz will be a big game pitcher, a la Andy Petitte. In the minors, he won two championship games and I think he has the stones. I just don't know about Thor in that spot, sometimes I think the moment can get to him.
Post a Comment