On March 10 there was an article here talking about the good start Mets pitchers got off to in Florida. Let’s see how they wound up. The original piece focused on K/BB numbers, so that’s what we’ll do here, with the first set what they had thru 3/9 and the second set what they finished Grapefruit League play with:
13 Ks, 2 BB: Tylor Megill – 23/6
8 K’s, 3 BB: Sean Manaea – 21/4
7 Ks, 3 BB: Jose Quintana – 18/9
5 Ks, 0 BB: Luis Severino – 12/1
3 Ks, 1 BB: Adrian Houser – 14/1
Megill was unable to keep up his strong start but still had a solid K/BB ratio of 2.5 from 3/10 forward. Manaea ended with a 13.0 K/BB ratio but that might not be the most impressive, as Houser had 11 Ks and 0 BB. He’s not really a strikeout pitcher and on one hand, the K numbers Houser posted this Spring are terrific. On the other hand, even with those great peripherals, he had a 5.25 ERA. It’s really hard to imagine how that could happen in Florida.
The SP remains a big wild card for the Mets. Can Megill prove he’s not a 4.75 ERA guy? Can Manaea produce his September numbers from a year ago over a full season? Can Quintana pitch for a full year like he did for two-plus months last season? Can Severino turn back the clock? Can Houser avoid trouble the second time thru the order and consistently go five or more innings? Will Kodai Senga come back healthy and approach last year’s numbers? Will Jose Butto shine out in Syracuse and demand a recall?
We’re about ready to find out.
I like what they’ve done with this SP staff. Towards the end of this year, regardless of the Mets playoff prospects, the discussion will be about all the arms moving through the minors. Scott, Hamel, Vasil, Stuart, Ziegler, Sproat, McLean. Those are seven who show potential of being legit MLB starting pitchers. Whether they are frontline starters or not remains to be seen. Add in Butto – can he maintain his 2023 excellence? Does Megill’s new splitter make a difference? Out of this mix, hopefully 2-3 emerge as MLB worthy for 2025. Not having the burden of multi-year contracts with fading veterans is ideal. Getting prospects back for Scherzer and Verlander was the obvious positive but clearing the decks for these potentials was also a big plus.
I like the possibility that the Mets are playing important games this year in September and October but what is very exciting is what is to come, 2025 and beyond. There’s not a Gooden or a Strawberry coming up, but I think the last time I was this jazzed about the minors was in the early 80s. Of course the emergence of Harvey, Wheeler, Syndergaard, and deGrom (who was almost an afterthought at the time) was amazing, but this set of prospects is more balanced with all of the position players. I’d like to see a bit more thump beyond Clifford, but that’s a small concern, especially in contrast to the minors outlook just a few years ago. No Shervyen Newtons or Gavin Ceccinis this time around.
Are we doing a predictions thread soon? It’s my favorite post of the year!
It would be fools errand to think that the starting pitcher numbers were legit while not also being very concerned then about the offensive struggles. But I’ve been called a fool before.
4 man bench and they have two good field no hit infielders?
Of the five starters, the one I have the least faith in is Quintana. I see him as the Carrasco of 2024. After that, it’s a toss up.
I understand Brian’s passion for having a smart and worthy website. He wants to make sure that we respect and learn at the same time. Then, there are others out there that must be click bait or just not worthy of their ability to publish. This is a list of the 25 best players ever on MLB, ranked in order:
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron
Barry Bonds
Ty Cobb
Lou Gehrig
Ted Williams
Stan Musial
Walter Johnson
Mickey Mantle
Pedro Martinez
Ken Griffey Jr
Randy Johnson
Mike Trout
Honus Wagner
Greg Maddux
Rickey Henderson
Roger Clemens
Joe DiMaggio
Albert Pujols
Frank Robinson
Alex Rodriguez
Josh Gibson
Tom Seaver
Bob Gibson
—————————-
Ok, just not seeing any of Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, Nolan Ryan, Cy Young, Yogi Berra, Ralph Kiner, or even Johnny Bench is stunning, when I see Pujols, Clemens, and ARod. Obviously, the steroid stats were washed clean, but Ted Williams was seventh? What a joke!
Mets finalized their Opening Day roster, with Yohan Ramirez and Michael Tonkin claiming the final bullpen spots, and placing Sean Reid-Foley on the 15-day IL due to a shoulder impingement.
Hmmm, weren’t they called out last year for such “injuries”?
Indeed they were. Perhaps Stearns hasn’t been there long enough to piss someone off enough that they’d be willing to snitch on him.
Or perhaps SRF really is injured.
Megill to the 15-day IL. Mets recall Jose Butto. April Fools! They recall Reed Garrett.