Guest Post – Mack: 2027 Rotation

 

I found where Mrs. Mack hid my laptop. Need to get this done quickly.

My first guest post outlined what I would begin doing… RIGHT NOW… with this miserable team regarding the eight guys that hit the top step of the dugout to support their pitcher. This post features my thoughts on that pitcher.

CAUTION: These are my thoughts during the first week in May. Things change. Someone may come around and pitch five consecutive perfect games. Probably not, but could. Some I thought I would be writing about here, I am not due to their disappointing results so far. What I am writing about is the five starters, right now, that would be in my rotation after I take out the trash.

No one a year ago thought that the ace of this staff would be Nolan McLean. Kodai Senga probably. Jonah Tong possibly. Longshots were McLean, Blade Tidwell and Brandon Sproat. For reasons that are turning out stupid, Tidwell and Sproat were dealt off, thus, taking away the dream of this new, future, super rotation.

I’m so sick of following a game each night with failed pitchers. Oh, we know the bats suck much more right now, but everything starts with the rotation and the current one ain’t hackin’ it.

Me?

Well, it all begins with Tom Seaver… err… Nolan McLean. What a blessing to have him and I will do all in my power to extend him for, at least, five more seasons past this one. Very few have McLean’s ability to send that ball in so many directions. Enjoy him.

Past that, I would do everything in that same power to secure the free agent, Tarik Skubal. The word is he wants a $400mil contract. That’s like $50mil for eight years. Is that worth it? Well, I ain’t paying it, but that doesn’t mean I am not going balls out to get him to agree to come aboard. Hint: I’ll pay a pile of Benjamins for six years.

I’m expecting Skubal to be wearing Dodger Blue next season, so I still need four more starters.

On second thought, if Skubal doesn’t come aboard, I may have this “Mclean being the Ace” thing wrong. 

I mean, as of 4/29, even in this awful season, the Mets own the 7th lowest ERA in the league (1.75). That guy’s name is Clay Holmes and the day I become the honcho here, I am on the phone with his agent, seeking permission to discuss with him to drop that player option for 2027 and, at least, agree to come back for next season. Me? I want to sign him past that. The 7th lowest ERA for the team with the lowest W-L percentage? Come on.

Next, I would promote the current strikeout leader in the International League. Yeah, the Mets got that guy. His name is Jonah Tong. As of 4/30, his stat line has a little of everything, but the 38-K/25-IP stands out. Sadly, so does his current 5.68-ERA, 1.38-WHIP. Work is still needed here, but it is far too early to turn him into a closer. It takes a while for Nolan Ryan to become Nolan Ryan.

I’m three down and two to go and here comes my future workhorse (158-IP and 31-starts since the beginning of the 2025 season both rank first in the org.)… Jack Wenninger is ready now. He’s currently 1.61 after five starts this season, topped off with his fifth start this week (5.2-IP, 7-K, 0-R).

Lastly, I had hoped to be typing the name of Zach Thornton here but it turned out that the boy just ain’t ready. Enter today’s long man and this year’s off-season steal, Tobias Myers. So far this season, he has produced a +0.4-WAR basically as a two-inning guy. Me? I’m stretching him out in hopes of producing a 5-6 inning starter, at least until Thornton comes of age.