The Padres pitched their former hurler Joey Lucchesi a lot.
Why? Because they weren't stunatze!
“JOEY GOT GAME, BRO’”
Baseball, and frankly other sports as well, having one thing in common.
Each is ultimately a fan’s game. No fans? Well, no big paychecks and bright lights.
There are some players you don’t mind being on your team, but they don’t excite you much, while there are other guys for some reason you are big fans of, but for some other fans, they may not care about your favorites.
Joey Lucchesi is one of those guys that I really root for.
Part of the reason for that is I am in favor of guys who are underdogs, who have been through adversity, and who deserve better. Joey checks those boxes. Recovered from Tommy John surgery, etc.
Others may not feel the same way about Joey the player, but I feel pretty strongly that given a bona fide chance in 2024, Joey will excel.
Not to say that Joey hasn’t already had decent MLB success, with his 23-24, 4.07 career record, but I love underdogs who work their butts off to definitively overcome and make the grade. Think “overcomes Jeff McNeil” in 2018. No one pulled harder for Jeff than me.
In Joey’s case as well, I believe that there are at least several teams in the major leagues where Joey would be a regular starter, without a doubt, and I love underdogs who work their butts off to overcome and make the grade. For instance, wouldn’t Joey get 32 starts if he were pitching for Oakland? I sure think he would.
Anthony DiComo recently did a nice article on Joey. The 6’5” lefty realizes that free agency is getting nearer by the day (FA in 2026) and that he somehow has got to break out of his current rut of getting inadequate annual MLB innings, and has to leave no stone unturned in making his 2024 pitching be so optimal that his chances of breaking through in a real sense significantly increase.
Many of us can painfully remember Sean Marcum, who went 1-10 for the Mets one year, and other starters getting shelled. We remember suffering through a few seasons of subpar Mike Pelfrey, who was 50-54, 4.35 for the Mets when they had some solid teams, and you no doubt could come out with names of your own of guys that have not pitched as well during their time with the Mets as Joey has. How about Crumbling Cookie, who in 2023 was a gosh-awful 3-8, 6.80?
That said, Joey has gone all out this winter, optimizing his diet, getting massage treatments that are intended to optimize his digestive system, and improve his flexibility, and even taking cold baths, which stimulate the body to burn fat. He’s reported to have lost over 25 pounds, and is in terrific shape.
As Lucchesi said in the DiComo article, he not only wants a successful career, but he said:
“I want to make my money, man, and have a long career. I feel like I’m close.”
“I feel like I showed them what I can do.”
And, frankly, he has.
He was 4-0, 2.89 in 2023, while the rest of the Mets’ hurlers, including Crumbling Cookie, were 16 games below .500.
That 2.89 ERA, if he had enough innings in 2023 to “qualify” (which he did not), would have been the 5th best starter ERA in all baseball. And under-compensated Joey no doubt noticed that big Lucas Giolito got big bucks despite going a “1962 Mets-like” 8-15, 4.88 in 2023.
Oh, and reports are out that Giolito is damaged goods now - expensive damaged goods of the UCL kind - per MLB.COM:
"I think that’s when we’re going to know exactly where we’re at. Surgery is a possibility," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "So he’ll be there Monday. We’ll have more when he goes over there, and they see him and we'll have more for you guys [then].”
Joey is healthy - and he ain’t no dummy. He sees guys making real dough, and knows he has what it takes talent-wise to get some of that.
Here’s hoping Joey in 2024 gets 25 starts for the Mets and goes 10-7, 3.75. Or better.
That might not happen, as Tylor Megill is pitching like prime time Don Drysdale this spring. Megill seems to be locking up a rotation spot.
If not picked as part of the April starting rotation, simply use Lucchesi like the Mets used Trevor Williams did for the Mets in 2021-22, when he very effectively relieved and occasionally spot-started.
He is 100% a major leaguer, not a minor leaguer.
My conclusion? Play Joey a lot. He won’t let you down.
Missed Joey so far this spring
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was in Australia with his Joey
Judging from spring injuries and outings, there might be a good chance to see both him and Megill in the opening day rotation.
totally agree, Tom
ReplyDeletebring on Joey
Joey supposed to pitch any day. What the thinking is, who knows. I hate rainout days like yesterday’s. You want guys pitching and hitting.
ReplyDeleteI’m imagining the Red Sox wished they traded for Joey instead of signing Giolito.
If baseball was smart, they’d limit signings of any 30 or over pitcher to one year. These guys fall apart more than Boeing airliners. It would be fascinating to watch baseball annually fighting to sign such guys to one year deals. Talk about a wild off season.
Careful, Tom. That last paragraph sounds a lot like collusion.
ReplyDeleteWe don't want you to be suspended or banned. 🤨
He's close...
DeleteHi Tom,
ReplyDeleteGreat article. For the life of me I don't understand why he is not given some kind of shot. All this guy has done since joining the Mets is pitch well.
I don't understand their reluctance to pitch him, while giving every other fringe pitcher multiple chances. They have given McGill like 5 chances. Jose Butto also instead of him???
I don't get it? By no means am I saying that he is great, but he is a decent pitcher who does well whenever they use him. They went out and picked all these guys with ERA's over 4.00. Meanwhile, his lifetime ERA is 4.07. That includes his earlier stats.
He is perfect for the long man role, spot starter, occasional opener.
I think this guy deserves a shot.
JoeP, let's compare Giolito 2023 to Joey 2023 in big leagues.
ReplyDeleteJoey was 4-0, 2.89 in 47 innings. Giolito was 8-15, 4.88 in 184 innings.
The INCREMENTAL DIFFERENTIAL?
Giolito threw 137 more innings and allowed 85 more earned runs, a 5.60 ERA in the incremental innings. In the 137 incremental innings, he allowed 37 more HRs, a staggering ratio.
His record was 4-15 worse than Joey's. Ugly, huh?
Yet Lucas signs a big contract and Joey fights for crumbs. Nuts. C'mon, Joey. C'mon, Stearns.
Bill, as Mack knows, I tend to be more collider than colluder LOL
ReplyDelete😝
ReplyDeleteGood point about Giolitto. I was actually talking about the Mets pickups, like Houser, Severino and Maneatta (butchering his name). They literally spent over 30 million for those guys without giving Lucchesi a shot.
ReplyDeleteI believe I heard last year that they don't like the third time around the order. If that's the case he would be perfect in the long man role or spot starter.
I know this dates me, but he reminds me when the Mets had Darren Oliver in that role.
He needs a shot.
JoeP, I cannot visualize Oliver, but Joey goes thru the order twice? Put in the relievers!
ReplyDeleteHe threw 47 MLB innings last season. In 6 starts, he went a quality 5.2 innings or more. Throw that objection out the window.
If the Mets had a top 5 offense, starters would be given more room to continue. The Mets are always in tight games and most starters are pulled at a moment's notice. Who wants to be criticized for leaving a starter in a tight game and a loss follows, when if the offense was scoring more, those games would be less tight?