Mets fans have enjoyed an embarrassment of riches when it
comes to starting pitching. Between the exploits
during 2015 from Matt Harvey, Jacob de Grom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and
Bartolo Colon, fans pretty much tune in each night expecting a shutout. Thus far in 2016 there have been some stellar
performances but unfortunately there have also been plenty of clinkers.
Steven Matz ushered in the new season with a game he’d just
as soon forget, but after that stumble out of the starting gate he’s been
outstanding, his most recent effort part of the 13-1 crushing of the San
Francisco Giants. That 1.2 inning
debacle has led to three straight starts during which he’s compiled a minuscule
0.93 ERA. It doesn’t get much better
than that.
Noah Syndergaard has been the mirror image of Steven Matz. Through his first 4 games he posted a tiny
ERA of 1.69 while holding batters to a .222 batting average. In his last start he showed he’s human, too,
by sacrificing 4 runs over 5.2 IP. Thus
far he’s managed to fan 44 batters in just 32 IP.
Jacob de Grom has now reeled off two efforts in a row that
were not deGrominating. From a guy whose
ERA for his entire career is just 2.57, it seemed a little out of character. To show how far this staff has come in
setting expectations, de Grom’s 3 earned runs over 5 IP Thursday night in San
Diego would be acceptable to pretty much any ballclub but it comes to what fans
are accustomed to seeing from the former Rookie of the Year, it stood out as a
bad performance. Coming on the heels of a
winning game in which he gave up 3 runs to the Padres (none earned) it showed he
can be human, too.
Bartolo Colon has been the picture of consistency this
season. Thus far through 6 starts he’s delivered
a nifty 2.56 ERA and most recently came off 8 innings of shutout ball versus
the woeful Atlanta Braves. Batters are
hitting .277 against him, but his usual pinpoint control minimizes the bases on
balls and he’s managed to dance around potential trouble.
Matt Harvey, on the other hand, has been pretty mediocre
thus far this year. The numbers don’t
lie – a 2-4 record, a 4.76 ERA, an ugly 1.559 WHIP, striking out just 6.6
batters per 9 IP as opposed to a career average 9.3, and batters are teeing off
to a .311 average against him! Pitchers go through slumps as do batters, so
unless there’s a health issue beyond the bladder problem that he hasn’t
disclosed, this too shall pass.
Still, it’s a bit disconcerting for Mets fans to see
pitching performances from many of their starting staff that are not the
automatic guarantee of victory on a nightly basis. Should fans be worried? Probably not…and even if you are, remember
that Zack Wheeler and Sean Gilmartin are capable reinforcements should anyone
falter.
3 comments:
True, but why couldn't they have signed some bats this off season??
Only kidding, but recent games show how puzzling this game can be sometimes, with them suddenly going cold.
We'll be fine - it is the law of averages.
Shocked at how impressive the SS has been all around. So consistent. Strong middle infield.
Big upgrade from Murphy/Tejeda. That combo got old for me
I've said it before and I'll re-state it. Barring injuries, the only thing I'd change is the addition of a LH veteran hitter for the IF bench. Not necessarily Kelly Johnson, but someone like him.
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