Ahhh, Facebook Mets "fans".
Even in one of the best off season weeks in Mets' history, the grumpiness is hard for some to suppress.
In this case, about Marcus Stroman.
One guy today wrote in response to someone's post:
"Stroman is a Yankee lover, but the Yanks don’t want him so now he’ll settle for the Mets. Pease (sic) of s,,t way overrated."
Despite this erudite fellow's misspelling and use of the seemingly required expletive in a single short sentence, here are 8 reasons why he is factually wrong:
1) In a game overridden by HRs, where the average starter in 2020 averaged a HR allowed every 6,4 innings, Stroman in his career has allowed a HR every 10.9 innings, a huge plus. He is unlikely to become anywhere near as HR-radioactive as, say, Steve Matz. When HRs are surrendered by pitchers in bushels, they tend to lose a lot.
2) In his last season in 2019, Stroman had an ERA of 3.22. The major league starters in 2020 had a combined ERA of 4.46. That's 1.24 runs per 9 innings higher than Stroman. Over 200 innings, that would be 28 extra earned runs. And surely a bunch more losses.
3) 14 guys on the Mets who threw 48% of their innings in 2020 combined to allow 7.4 runs per 9 innings. Stro's 2019 ERA was 4 runs per 9 innings lower than those Mets miscreants, roughly. 4 runs per 9 BETTER.
4) There is a big risk to multi-year pitcher contracts, as we Mets fans found out with Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana. So paying $18.9 MM for a year of an accomplished young (29) pitcher in his prime is a lot but it has no long term risk.
5) The risk of a guy not having pitched under the bright Citifield glare is always an unknown. He has pitched here. He handled it.
6) He is upbeat and energetic and, to the best of my knowledge, a good teammate. That counts.
7) His arm had a year away from wear and tear. A good thing.
8) Post season experience. 1-1, 4.40 in 5 starts is certainly in the realm of adequate.
So, it is simple:
Stroman as a Met? A major plus. Pricey for the season, perhaps - but a major plus.
5 comments:
I like him on a one year deal because he has incentives. In a long term one not so much because he is proven to be a quitter.
I like him on a one year deal because he has incentives. In a long term one not so much because he is proven to be a quitter.
Dallas, good point. And, after last season’s horrific pitching, we need a decent starter who has big time incentive.
I was Also thrilled to see MLB article list Tom Szapucki be their pick for top Mets rookie next year, as he was off the radar this season. Maybe he will be a good cheap alternative to Stroman in 2022.
I'm excited about Szapucki! People are downplaying his success in the lower minors but I think he is going to be productive for us next year. People of course already want to trade him away for Lindor along with Gimenez and Nimmo...
Dallas, I sure hope Szapucki is Peterson II
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