With all the talk about Matt Harvey and innings limits yesterday, the Mets were lucky to get away from that as the game against the Miami Marlins went according to plan. Bartolo Colon stole the show by pitching a complete game shutout, and he has been pitching awfully well the past couple of starts. Will this set Colon to be on the postseason roster as a starter?
It was August 21st when Colon struggled against the Colorado Rockies, as he pitched 3.2 innings, letting up seven runs and saw his ERA rise to 4.90. Ever since that game, he has made three starts, pitching seven or more innings and not letting up a run. The two teams he pitched against were the Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. Both of these teams are among the worst in terms of scoring runs, as the Marlins currently rank 29th while the Phillies rank 26th in the MLB. Even though these teams are not playoff contenders, Colon has still given the pitching staff some much needed innings with quality results.
Results are a huge part of what gets considered when deciding whether or not a player should make the postseason roster. Tools (like power, speed) are also factored in. What about the intangibles? The Mets have a starting rotation that features many arms that are under 30 years old and have no playoff experience. Colon has started 10 games in the playoffs, and even pitched a complete game against the New York Yankees in 1998. Colon’s playoff experience could help keep the starters and relievers loose throughout the series.
The term “clubhouse guy” is given to players who are a great presence in the locker room, as they can ease tensions with comical relief. Juan Uribe comes to mind, as us fans can see that he enjoys the game of baseball, whether he is in the startling lineup or coming off the bench. Bartolo seems to be the same way. Last night we saw the 42-year-old make a behind-the-back toss to get a runner out at first base. Usually the media and baseball fans laugh when Colon steps up to home plate and gets ready to hit, but this was a unique play that left us all amazed. This cannot go overlooked throughout the remainder of the season, nor can it be overlooked if the Mets are playing in October. The games are going to get tougher from here on out, and having someone in the locker room to loosen up everyone is fairly important.
Fans are eager to see the young arms in Jacob deGrom, Harvey, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard pitch in the postseason and dominate. The Mets are letting Harvey decide what he wants to do, and will move on from there. Whether or not he is pitching in October, Colon’s veteran presence and team-first attitude is much needed. We saw him skip a bullpen session and pitch an inning against the Red Sox. Colon should make the postseason roster, and if he is starting, he should be able to pitch a quality game. If not, his team-first attitude will help the bullpen, as he would be the long reliever. Either way, the Mets have options in how to use Colon if they make the postseason.
If he keeps this up he deserves a post season rotation spot over Niese and he may consider playin next year at 43.
11-1 — Colon against the bottom three teams in the NL East
2-10 — Colon against the rest of MLB
There’s a ton of value in the 11 wins that Colon provided against the dregs and we should be grateful for that performance.
We should not contemplate him starting a game in the playoffs.
I think Colon was signed to take Harvey’s spot in 2014 after he had a very good 2013 with the Athletics. That never happened but he did provide the innings that a young pitching staff needed filled due to inning limitations. He earned his salary, took the ball every 5th day adequately, was a good teammate, and fun entertainment at times. He should make the playoff roster in some capacity. It would send a very bad vibe in the clubhouse to keep him off and he is still better or equal to some other pitching options.