Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, And Michael Wacha May All Be In Mets Rotation

During Spring Training, there was what seemed to be a contrived race for the fifth starter spot in the rotation between Steven Matz and Michael Wacha. That was even with the case of Matz being the better of the two, and really being a better pitcher than Rick Porcello over the past few seasons.

As we were headed towards the end of Spring Training, we really had no indication of who was in the lead for the spot, and we even heard the Mets were toying with the idea of mixing and matching Matz and Wacha as the fifth starter using them based upon the match-ups.

Of course now, it is a moot point as no one quite knows when or if we are going to play baseball again. When that happens, there is going to be an abbreviated return to Spring Training before we get back to games. Typically speaking, that would be fine as players, especially pitchers, were ramping up to begin the season.

However, teams have shut down their Spring Training facilities to their players and sent them home. Players live in different areas of the country, and places where they would typically go to work out have been shut down as well to help prevent the further spread of COVID19. In the end, this means we have no idea how in shape players will be.

That’s not an issue of laziness or them not being serious about their craft. Rather, it is a practical reality based upon the reality of the situation. It is difficult to ask people to be prepared for the season when they can’t work out at a facility or work with an instructor. To a certain extent, you know they are all doing something, but it may not be sufficient.

For pitchers, that is going to be especially dangerous. As has been noted, there is a fear the ramp up, cool down, and abbreviated re-ramp up can lead to pitcher injuries. This is going to demand teams be judicious in how they use pitchers and allow them to use the earlier part of the season as an extended Spring Training.

Fortunately, the Mets are actually well-built to do that with their having six starting pitchers.

With their having six starting pitchers, they can institute a plan similar to that they implemented at times during the 2015 season. There was push-back from some of the starters, namely Matt Harvey, but ultimately using pitchers like Jon Niese in the rotation and later Logan Verrett, it did help keeps arms fresh. That was a key to the Mets winning the 2015 pennant.

That’s exactly what the Mets need to do here. They need to use a six man rotation to help keep these pitchers fresh and to help them get through the season. They can do it strategically by taking into account the off days. At times, they can mix in Robert Gsellman here and there given his presence as the long man in the bullpen, and possibly, they can use a Stephen Gonsalves or Corey Oswalt for the occasional spot start or even as an “opener” for starts made by the other pitchers in the rotation.

In the end, this is still a Mets team built on pitching, and they need to keep their pitchers fresh and healthy to succeed in 2020. That is going to require them to utilize a six man rotation at times, so in the end, it means that Porcello, Matz, and Wacha will all win a spot in the rotation.

From there, the Mets can judge based upon who is pitching best in the regular season, and they can adapt to injuries in the even they unfortunately come.

 

15 Replies to “Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, And Michael Wacha May All Be In Mets Rotation”

  1. David Klein says:

    Totally make sense giving DeGrom less starts. Lmao

    1. metsdaddy says:

      Yes, it makes sense to not injure your best pitcher.

  2. David Klein says:

    Interesting that Davis exploded when he played everyday while Dom struggled tremendously when he started everyday and stopped facing mediocre middle relievers as a pinch hitter.

    1. metsdaddy says:

      That’s not remotely interesting “Gina.”

  3. David Klein says:

    But it’s not stupid when you do it for Davis.

    1. metsdaddy says:

      No, it’s not dumb when I point out the fallacy of your use of a SSS to put Davis at an elite level.

      1. David Klein says:

        Statcast has him as a top twenty hitter saying his numbers are sustainable.

        1. metsdaddy says:

          We already went over how it doesn’t say this. It also takes no position on the sustainability of his numbers.

          While we’re on the subject, I will again invite you to show me where in the 150 year history of baseball a .385 BABIP is sustainable.

          And before your nonsense reply, yes it was a .385 BABIP, because when it wasn’t he was a .257/.327/.434 hitter.

          You show me where in the 150 year history of baseball a player can sustain a .385 BABIP, and I’ll cede you’re correct.

          1. David Klein says:

            You’re a buffoon his xstats including hard hit rate, line drive rate, xwoba all day his numbers are sustainable and well earned. Oh and its been covered the Babis is not a good number without context

          2. metsdaddy says:

            Yes, I’m a buffoon because I don’t overtly make stuff up like you do

    1. metsdaddy says:

      Can you point me to where on the page a .385 BABIP is now sustainable after it not being so for over 150 years or where Baseball Savant ranks hitters.

Comments are closed.