Pages

12/1/23

Tom Brennan: Prospect Starters Who Might Hurl for Mets in 2024


ANY EXPECTED STARTER RELIEF FROM METS MINORS?

The Mets annually use a flotilla of pitchers. And more pitcher candidates pour across the southern border all the time. Several thousand males with baseball mitts a day, unconfirmed sources tell me.

We now have several MLB prospects that are used down under as starters.

Will any grace a MLB mound in 2024?

Steamer projections for them for 2024 may provide a hint:

MIKE VASIL

Steamer has him at 10 MLB starts, 55 IP, 3-4, 4.62 ERA. How about that?

DOM HAMEL

Steamer has him at 2-2, 28 IP, 4.74 in 5 MLB starts.

BLADE TIDWELL

Steamers shows no MLB innings in 2024. Likely makes sense. 2025 guy.

TYLER STUART

Ditto - no MLB innings in 2024, per Steamer. They still list his FV (future MLB value at a low 35 rating - Stuart will have to prove them wrong.)

JOANDER SUAREZ

Ditto - no MLB innings in 2024 per the Steamer chart.

So…not much innings-wise expected out of those prospect guys at the MLB level in 2024. Vasil and Hamel projected to give the Mets a total of 15 starts and just 83 innings. So…what about…


Two guys already here?

We’ve seen Jose Butto pitch in Queens. 1-4, 3.64 in 42 IP for the Mets in 2024. (Realize that had he pitched for an offensive juggernaut like the Braves, he might have been 4-1 instead).

What does Steamer think of Senor Butto?

It thinks he will pitch a lot in the majors…124 IP, 7-8, 4.87 ERA, the high ERA largely due to their suspected reemergence of his minor leagues gopher ball propensity, at a 2024 rate of 1.45 per 9. But that would be serviceable.

Lastly, the man the Mets chose to bury in minorsville for much of 2023, the 4-0 Joey Lucchesi?

Big time 2024 Joey usage projected by Steamer: 

8-8 in 136 innings, with a 4.46 ERA…in other words, a perfectly acceptable #5 starter. 

Me? I think his ERA will be closer to 4.00. He may be herky jerky, but Steamer has him at 55 Command, a very nice rating.

That’s it, folks. If you’re unhappy, don’t get Steamed at me.

And you get extra pitching credit if you can throw a 4 Steamer.





7 comments:

  1. I don't like to predict but, if I did, I think the Mets 2924 rotation will be

    1. Senga

    2..a Japanese guy who's last name ends with moto

    3. another Japanese new guy

    4. Q

    5 Severino

    ------

    6 Lucchesi

    7. Butto

    8. Vasil

    9 Megill

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mets sign RP Kyle Crick to minor league deal

    Crick was a big deal 1st round.in 2011 out of high school

    Did not pick last year

    Throws a ton of sliders and had the highest spin rate in the league

    Career ERA under 4

    Could be a good sign

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How bout Senga,Giolito,Severino,Quintana,Luchesi

      Delete
  3. I can't argue with Mack's list.

    I have seen some press that they have some interest in Jordan Montomery. I can't tell whether that interest is in place of or equal to the interest in Imanaga from Japan. I would be happy if either of them is in the rotation on Opening Day.

    My initial take was that Megill should be a bit higher than 9th on the list, but I would really like to see him be a long man in the pen and spot starter if necessary.

    I am a bit more bullish on Butto than Steamers seems to be. I'm thinking he'll give them some solid innings with an ERA around 3.6

    ReplyDelete
  4. If I were (still) a betting man, I’d bet that the Mets sign three more starters - with at least one of those being from Japan - and go largely with a 6-man rotation all season. This would not only help the two (three?) Japanese starters, but could be beneficial to Quintana and Severino as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm putting my money on Adam Smith. The Mets know the history of pitching injuries and will ensure they have a staff full of backups.

    I would love to see the young guys get innings as relievers before they are thrust into a succeed-or-fail trial as MLB starters. It just doesn't work out for many, as evidenced by Megill and Peterson. The first I want to see in a MLB relief role is Blade Tidwell. I have seen him throw several games and two things stand out: he will pitch brilliantly then lose focus and have a bad inning; and he has an extra gear when in trouble that gets him out of the jam. Both those tendencies point to a relief gig as the best way to work him in - he doesn't have to deal with the emotional burden of blow-up innings that ruin a good start, and if he comes in with runners on base and summons that killer instinct, he will get the team out of tough spots and earn some confidence that he can pitch in the bigs.

    ReplyDelete