The Mets have featured young starting pitchers who can throw absolute heat in the past couple of seasons. In 2012, we saw Matt Harvey’s first major league start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and going 5.1 innings while striking out 11 and getting the win. In 2013, Zack Wheeler made his debut against the Atlanta Braves, earning the win while striking out seven and walking five. Last year, Jacob deGrom and Rafael Montero made their first starts against the Yankees. This season featured Noah Syndergaard and now Steven Matz.
We know about the pitching talent this team has, as Harvey is becoming the face of the franchise, and a pretty vocal player on the team. The confidence, focus and intensity definitely spread to other pitchers. deGrom has been the ace this season, as he leads the team in WAR with 3.0, and has an ERA of 2.15. When Wheeler pitched last season, we saw a stretch of phenomenal pitching from July to August where he went 6-1 and average more than six innings in ten starts. Montero has a small sample size in the majors, but in his eight starts last season, he had a 3.98 ERA, which is decent production. These pitchers are the veterans of the staff, and will be leading the team for the next couple of years.
In January, Wally Backman said that Matz was the best pitching prospect in the farm system, and that Syndergaard had the stuff to become a Cy Young winner. This is the type of talent has been added to the starting rotation, and other teams better take notice. Even in Syndergaard’s 2015 season, we have seen some starts where he pitches six innings and gives up ten hits, but we have also seen starts where he absolutely dominates the opposition. The short starts are apart of the growing pains, but the future is bright for Noah.
Matz’s debut against the Reds featured a nasty curveball, a heater that sits around 95 MPH, and a decent changeup. We also found out that he can hit (which fits in perfectly with the other young pitchers on the staff) as he executed a hit and run, and hit a double over the glove of Billy Hamilton. Granted this is only one game against the Reds who have struggled throughout the season, but Matz looks like he belongs at the major league level.
Although the offense has struggled this season, a rotation made of deGrom, Harvey, Matz. Syndergaard and Wheeler is a dream come true for pitcher-enthusiasts. There are star players available; however other general managers are going to want one of these young pitchers in return, and it may benefit the Mets to keep all the young arms and hope that the team gets healthy. Daniel Murphy is coming off the disabled list, which should help the offense out, but the team needs to generate some more runs. If the Javier Baez for Jon Niese rumors are true, the Mets could get some offensive help without trading a younger pitcher, which would be ideal.
If Sandy Alderson decides to keep his five young starters, they could stay in tact until 2019, as Harvey is eligible to become a free agent. The pitching staff would give the Mets a chance to win every game, as the pitchers have the ability to dominate opponents every game.
I think you need to move one of these arms for some offense– the trick is trading Youmans and not Gooden, as it were.
I’d be inclined to see if I could get value for Noah and a package…
Agreed.
The Mets should only contenplate trading one of these pitchers for a difference type player. If it is for a Martin Prado type, its not worth it because the production from a Prado type vs what the Mets can get from Murphy is not that much hence keeping the youngster would be better.
I rather have the potential of 5 aces in the rotation and hope the Wilpons just spend money instead.
Completely agree Joe, if they do trade one of the young arms, I think (and hope) it would be for a proven all-star and not for a Prado type. If they made a run for Prado, it would probably be for an arm who is not in the organization’s future.
Keep these five together ……. They are a solid operating unit and as a team will work exponentially to deliver unreal results.
I am bullish on Matz and today was better than expected. Oh the damn offense. Lagares, an offensive inept player, should be the weakest link in the lineup but unfortunately that is not the case as there are quite a few others.
James you correctly point out that Murphy and his 749 OPS is an offensive upgrade to Campbell and his 531 OPS . TDA at 873 OPS is an upgrade to Plawecki with his low but improving 582 OPS and hopefully his stay on the DL is minimal. The obvious choice to upgrade is either 2B or SS. Tejada is at 709 OPS and Flores is at 675 OPS with Herera dragging at 614 OPS seems to be an area that could use an offensive infusion. The other offensive drag is Cuddyer in LF with his 677 OPS.
If Sandy does not want to break up his Future 5 and still want to improve the 2015 roster then he should use Niese + to get either Baez from the Cubs or Guerrero from the Dodgers. He should also get Zobrist from Oakland for some of the excess minor league starting pitchers that are going to be backed up for the next few years. Those two should add enough offense to supplement the pitching.
Seeing how Matz and Syndergaard have pitched so far, it seems like a viable way to go.
Metsense if you bench Herrera who plays second base?
Good points you bring up metsense, but I am wondering how much Baez would help out the offense. He strikes out quite a bit, and does not play great defense. Granted he has the potential to hit a ton of homers over the course of his career, but I am not completely sold on him.
As for Zobrist, I agree. He has playoff experience and is a good veteran to have on the ball club. Plus he’s the ultimate utility guy, so if he’s hot, he could find a spot in the lineup a couple of times during the week.
Matz had just as many RBI.’s as the Met’s had in the two games against the Reds.
5 aces. 8 jokers.
Matt you forgot the holy trinity. Fred, Jeff and Sandy!