I know that it is usually a fruitless exercise to overreact to Spring Training statistics and/or what your team’s record may be in the "pretend season”. There are countless examples of players and teams that have endured a “poor spring” only to rebound and play like they were supposed to play once the games are for real.
With that said, I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t concerned about how Steven Matz has looked in his first two outings so far. Consider the following twitter quote from someone named Bradford Doolittle (ESPN), after Matz’s latest start against the Nationals on Sunday;
"Steven Matz has an ERA near infinity (54.00) to show for two spring outings, but even after being roughed up by Washington on Sunday, Matz once again said he feels healthy and strong. After leaving some balls up today against a Nationals lineup that featured just two projected regulars, Matz says his goal next time out will be to keep the ball down”.
That isn’t exactly what you want to hear from one of your potential starting pitchers, especially on the heels of an injury induced “train wreck” of a season in 2017. In addition to "keeping the ball down", maybe he should add "record more then five outs" to his list?
Granted, he is still on the mend from an offseason surgical procedure to relocate an offending nerve in his elbow, so perhaps he is owed some leeway. Or, maybe he is "working on something specific" and the results are secondary?
***I’ve always found that assertion to be bit humorous since the point of pitching is to record outs, right? Sure, you can work on different things in a spring training setting, but you still want to be reasonably effective or what are you really learning?
Again, it is REALLY early, but here are SM’s statistics through two appearances in 2018;
1 2/3 IP (31 total pitches thrown)
8 H
10 R (all earned)
4 BB
1 K
7.19 WHIP
53.89 ERA
An extremely UGLY statistical line, especially the number of baserunners allowed and the ERA. So, is it too early to start worrying about one of the members of our next “great rotation”?
I spent some time explaining last week how I feel that Zack Wheeler has underperformed his talent level due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Additionally, I think what you see with ZW at this point is what you are going to get now and in the future. I also closed that article by stating that Steven Matz was starting to enter similar territory based on his overall performance since he arrived in Queens a few seasons ago.
I would LOVE to be wrong about both pitchers as the Mets would be much more formidable with both starters healthy and pitching to their potential. However, being hopeful and being realistic are not always the same thing and sadly, I think both will be remembered for "what they could have been", as opposed to what they actually were.
The Jason Vargas signing, as well as not dealing any of our starting pitching depth (Montero, Gsellman and Lugo) in the off season is starting to make much more sense now.
Hopefully, Matz's next start will be much more fire than smoke.
ReplyDeleteSeaver used to get smacked around a lot in spring, then, hone in like a laser. For Matz, I am not concerned - YET - as "healthy and strong" is # 1. But he is not Tom Seaver, so he needs to show real progress, and hopefully the next outing is far improved.
Matz, Wheeler, Harvey - what will they do in 2018? Upon them hinges the season's success.
I want to see what he does next time before hitting the panic button. Having said that, a trip to AAA to start the year would be good for him. Nothing will make you concentrate harder than a trip to the minors where you know that you don't perform, you don't get called up.
ReplyDeleteViper, I hope he is Jon Matlack again by the end of Spring Training, but I agree - I want people who are really performing sharply at the start of the season to be on the 25 man - if someone has options and is sputtering, even if it turns out to be a talented guy like Steve Matz, I don't want guys trying to find themselves when games really count.
ReplyDeleteSo does that apply to A-Gon, too?
ReplyDeleteI guess this also means that PJ Conlon will be our #1 starter because he's been lights out this spring. Ridiculous to get worked up over the first two practice starts a guy makes after major surgery. And we're eight, arguably nine deep in the rotation, so Wheeler or Matz or Gsellman are all available.
ReplyDeletePerhaps.....as I stated, I would love to be wrong and I hope that I am. Jacob deGrom had a similar procedure and came back strong, so there is precedent.
ReplyDeleteI think Harvey's outing today actually made me feel a lot better about Matz. Harvey was, I think, in a far worse place than Matz is now (despite two consecutive absolutely horrific early spring outings)for much of last season. I don't think Matz's confidence has been completely shattered the way Harvey's was in '17(I mean, his body language was like an open book). Yet there was Matt "lookin' awful good" ("Heaven Can Wait" reference, for those keeping score)for three innings. I was thinking, too, that a trip to Vegas wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to Matz. There are too may pitchers right now to take 'em all north and if he's the one that needs to find himself, stretch himself out and wait for the next domino to fall before he returns, so be it.
ReplyDelete