Lost in all the offensive struggles is the fact that this Mets team is built upon pitching.  As a franchise, the Mets always have and always will be built upon pitching.  It started with Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Jon Matlack in the late 60’s.  It was continued in the 80’s with Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, and David Cone.  The mantle was supposed to be picked up this year by the Mets young rotation.

However, the rotation has had some struggles.  Matt Harvey struggled mightily going 2-4 in May with a 5.91 ERA.  To a lesser extent, Jacob deGrom struggled in May going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.  The concern with deGrom was not so much the results but the seemingly precipitous drop in velocity.  These were to the two aces the Mets road all last year and into the postseason.  These were supposed to be the two aces this year leading the team while the younger starters developed.  Instead, the reverse has been true.

Noah Syndergaard has taken the next step this year.  He is 5-2 with a 1.84 ERA and a 0.958 WHIP.  He is throwing fastballs up and over 100 MPH, and more impressively, he is throwing sliders around 95 MPH.  He is as dominant a pitcher as there is in baseball right now.

Steven Matz was named the National League Rookie of the Month for the Month of May.  It was a well deserved honor after going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.757 WHIP.  In fact, if you take away his first nightmare of a start, a start he made after a long period of inactivity, Matz is 7-0 with a 1.51 ERA and a 0.932 WHIP.  Matz has been the pitcher everyone has imagined he would be and more since he burst onto the scene last year beating the Reds from the mound at the plate.

Overall, Syndergaard and Matz have taken the next step.  On almost any other rotation, they would be the unquestioned ace. That was the same thing that has been said for Harvey and deGrom.  On that front, there is some great news as well.  In Harvey’s last start, he went seven innings allowing only two hits, no runs, and one walk with striking out six.  In deGrom’s last start, he went seven innings allowing five hits, one run, and two walks while striking out 10.  More importantly, deGrom’s velocity is returning with him getting his fastball up to 96 MPH.

So yes, it appears like the 2016 Mets are continuing the franchise’s legacy of having great pitching.  With Syndergaard and Matz being ahead of schedule in their development coupled with Harvey and deGrom starting to return to last year’s form, the Mets rotation is stacked with four aces.  If you’re a baseball player or a poker player, you know four aces is next to impossible to beat no matter whatever else you have in your hand . . . even if that hand contains the deuce that the Mets offense was over the month of May.