Tom Brennan - Sometimes, Surgery “Un-Impairs” You; and Recent Observations

Even before his Mets tenure, was Joey hurting? Maybe. Who knows?

Travis d’Arnaud was viscerally hated by many Mets “fans.”  

Maybe you, too. (Not me, but I digress…)

He didn’t hit well, couldn’t throw guys out.

Then he needed Tommy John surgery. 

Which got me thinking…”how long was he playing impaired?” 

And “how much better might he be post-surgery”?

Most fans wanted him banished immediately after his surgery. 

“Bum”, “we’ve seen enough,” “time for a change”, “&#/%”, etc.

Fans who couldn’t run a lemonade stand, much less a major league club.

Well, Post-Mets, with his healed elbow and no longer impaired, in 1,130 at bats, he’s had a mere 192 RBIs, 66 doubles, 50 HRs, and hit .267… 

You know, just like all our offense-heavy catchers. 

Well, no, not actually. 

Vastly outperforming our catchers since then, namely Ramos, McCann, Mazeika, Nido, Chirinos, and Rivera, is more accurate.

Shows what unimpaired, healthy Uber-talent can do. 

Post-TJS TDA was A-OK.

Enter Joey Lucchesi. 

How long was his pitching elbow barking? I Wonder. Who knows? 

But you’re getting MLB pay, and you’re a tough guy, so you zip it, play thru pain, keep getting paid, and hope the arm doesn’t fall off.

Well, hope wasn’t enough, and “Tommy John” intrusively introduced himself to Joey in mid-2021.

The same question now arises, as it did with TDA: 

“Was Joey impaired pre-TJS, and he’ll now come back BETTER?”

After watching him pitch Friday, the answer is a resounding YES.

He not only threw 7 scoreless and fanned 9… 

DAG NAB IT, he looked DOMINANT. 

Like an ace.

His prior two AAA starts, 12 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 12 Ks. He is ROLLING.

My only question now is:

Who loses his rotation spot to Ace Joey?

May he continue to dazzle as a healthy Met, as TDA has as an ex-Met. 

At least we remained patient and kept Joey Lucchesi. 

Who?

The Ace.

MEANWHILE, THE OTHER LEFTY...

David Peterson has a 1-3 record and a 7.86 ERA in 26 innings.  Problem? Those 7 HRs allowed.  He has actually allowed 29 HRs in 198 innings from 2021-23.  Despite 215 Ks over that stretch, he has also walked 88 in that span.  Those walks and HRs allowed are two big deficiencies for Peterson.  He may end up in AAA to try to figure them out.

One thing he appears to be great at is preventing steals - just 4 of 8 in 248 career innings.  Syndergaard, by comparison, has allowed 175 of 196 in his 875 inning career.  BUT Noah has allowed just 25 career HRs.

FEEL-GOOD OFFENSE...

When the Mets scored those 17 runs against Oakland, boy, did we all feel good.  But Oakland gave up 18 yesterday.  Turns our their ERA after their 4-17 start is 8.08, while Tampa's is 2.79.  7 teams are above 5.00.  Yanks at 3.11, Atlanta at 3.40, Philly at 4.90.  Oakland is 9.97 on the road this year.  Wow.

The Mets are 14th overall in ERA at 4.10.  Oakland has allowed the most homers (39), while the Mets are second worst at 32.  That 4.10 ERA, though, isn't so bad for one reason...

YA GOTTA EARN IT...

Mets' pitchers have surrendered 88 runs this season - all earned.  

The Rockies have allowed 18 unearned runs already, by comparison.

If the Mets had allowed 18 unearned runs so far, instead of none, might they be 8-14 rather than 14-8?  

Understand, though, that Jimmy Yacabonis and Dennis Santana are 3-0 while everyone else is just 11-8.  We need more Yacabonises and Santanas, that much is clear.

Of course, missing Justin Verlander and Edwin Diaz, who had ERAs of 1.75 and 1.31 last year, has something to do with that 4.10 number.

I'll bet you never thought in January that another Edwin, namely Edwin Uceta, would have more Mets innings than both of them at this point, and a perfect ERA to boot.  Heck, Uceta was on Pittsburgh at that point.

Of course, looked at another way, Diaz and Verlander have not allowed a single run this year.  I'm impressed - anyone else?

IMBALANCE...

The Mets have played 22 games so far - just 6 at home.  26 HRs allowed in 16 road games. Time for some yummy home cooking.  Home sweet home ought to help reduce Mets' pitchers' ERAs too.

WELL, SHUT MY MOUTH...

I start picking on Mark Vientos a bit recently, primarily about too many Ks, and he responded with a big stick, as he promptly goes 10 for 22 (boosting MV to .364) with 5 walks and just 4 Ks in his next 7 games.  Consider my mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Rockin' Ronny Mauricio is 27 for 75 (.360), and has 2 recent errorless games at 2B.

Two major leaguers who are stuck in Syracuse.  

You get unstuck if you are a pitcher.  Already, the Mets have used 20.  In 1969 and 1986, they used 15.