by Chris DiGeronimo
The New York Mets starting rotation has been one of the best on paper for the last five years, but they haven’t been able to live up to those expectations due to injuries, lack of run support and under performance. The rotation went under a bit of a reconstruction this offseason, as they lost Zack Wheeler to free agency and replaced him with the combination of Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, who both signed one year deals. Porcello and Wacha were supposed to be depth signings with one starting and one coming out of the bullpen, but that plan changed once they got the devastating news about Noah Syndergaard who underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the season was postponed due to Covid-19. Now both Porcello and Wacha will be placed into the rotation and it will most likely look something like this, Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Porcello, Steven Matz, and Wacha. This rotation has a lot of experience but it also has a lot to prove, so it should be exciting once the season finally gets under way.
Jacob deGrom: The two-time, back to back, Cy Young award winner is back and ready to be crowned the best pitcher in baseball for a third consecutive year. DeGrom finished 2019 going 11-8 with a 2.43 ERA and a league leading 255 strikeouts. The biggest knock on deGrom’s game over the last two years has been something he can’t even control, and that is wins. The Mets were 14-18 in games started by deGrom but that record is a false narrative of what he actually means to this rotation. There were 19 starts in 2019 where deGrom went seven innings or more and in those 19 starts he accumulated nine wins, two losses, and eight no-decisions. Incredible. If they won half of his seven inning no decisions, they would have been .500 during games he started, and would have made the Wild Card chase even more exciting. With that being said, these individual awards mean a lot, but deGrom has made it clear that he wants the team to win and he will do whatever it takes to help the team do that. With this shortened season on the horizon it is hard to predict how everyone is going to respond but with his drive and competitiveness I wouldn’t expect anything less than another Cy Young caliber season from deGrom, even if it is only 50 games.
Marcus Stroman: When Marcus Stroman was acquired at the 2019 deadline from the Blue Jays it left some Mets fans scratching their heads. The team wasn’t fully in playoff contention, but they weren't fully out of it so acquiring an ace pitcher in exchange for two top prospects wasn’t the best move in the eyes of the fanbase. With two years left on his contract, it was the perfect move in the mind of Brodie Van Wageden and crew because it gave them another talented pitcher for the upcoming playoff push, and they had an in-house replacement for when they inevitably lost Zack Wheeler to free agency. In the end, the move worked out pretty well for both sides which is something that doesn’t happen often. The New York native finished 2019 in orange and blue going 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts. Overall including his stats with Toronto he finished 2019 going 10-13 with a 3.22 ERA and 159 strikeouts. The bright lights of the big city did not hinder Stroman in any way, it seemed coming back home gave him even more swagger which seemed impossible. The Mets offense responded well to Stroman as they gave him an average of 5.4 runs during his 11 starts. Stroman will look to keep up his New York swagger in 2020 as he continues to help mold the team chemistry along with Pete Alonso. The bad news is Stroman is a free agent after the 2020 season, and has already attracted some suitors in the open market. This will definitely give him some motivation to compete at the top of his game, but it will also put pressure on the Mets to pay him which is something they have been unwilling to do with most of their free agents. Look for Stroman to have a career year in 2020 once things get underway.
Rick Porcello: The 2016 AL Cy Young award winner joined the Mets staff via free agency this offseason with the promise of a rotation spot. Porcello has had multiple up and down seasons since winning the Cy Young, but has been a reliable arm that most importantly accumulates wins. 2019 was a down year for Porcello as he went 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA and 114 strikeouts with the Red Sox. He is two years removed from a 17 win season, a career high in strikeouts, and a World Series trophy, so the Mets are hoping they get a combination of the last two seasons from Porcello in 2020. Porcello is also a native of Morristown, NJ and was a Mets fan growing up, so in a way this is a homecoming for the 31 year old pitcher. The good news for the Mets is they signed him to a one year deal so there is no long term commitment if he does continue this downward trend in his career. The good news for Porcello is he gets an opportunity to prove himself on a contending team that is going to give him a lot of opportunities to start. If he does well he will most likely draw interest from teams offering multi-year deals even if one of those teams isn’t the Mets. Overall, this is a medium risk/high reward for this talented pitching staff if they can get everything together and hit on all cylinders for one potentially magical year.
Steven Matz: Before Syndergarrd’s injury, Matz was viewed as the odd man out and a potential candidate for the bullpen. Now with the fifth spot wide open Matz’s job is safe, for now. Matz had a solid 2019 going 11-10 with a 4.21 ERA and a career high 153 strikeouts. His previous two seasons had been riddled with injuries, so it was good to see him stay predominantly healthy while figuring it all out on the mound. As the only lefty in the rotation Matz has gotten the benefit of trial and error, but with the two additional free agent signings, he is going to have to step it up to prove he belongs. Matz was sent to the bullpen for two games last year but responded nicely as he went 6-4 with four no decisions, including a complete game shutout in his last 14 starts following the bullpen stint. Overall, Matz has shown that he has the talent to be special but he has to learn how to put it together for a full quality start. When he gets in trouble you can visibly see him get rattled at times and that makes it worse. If he is able to control his emotions and focus on the task at hand, he should have another solid season.
Michael Wacha: The Mets configured their 2020 pitching staff much like the New York Knicks configured their free agency strategy; sign a bunch of guys with something to prove and hope it works to our advantage. Michael Wacha was another signing that fit that motto. Wacha has struggled over the last few seasons but this new opportunity with the Mets could give him some new life. Wacha finished 2019 going 6-7 with a 4.76 ERA and 104 strikeouts with the Cardinals. Coming into the season Wacha was competing with Matz for the final spot and was an option to start the year in the bullpen. Now with everything that has happened he should get a great opportunity to start regularly without any pressure. Wacha was ace material during the Cardinals 2013 championship run and was an All-Star in 2015 but has since put up mediocre numbers with poor outings becoming the norm. If Wacha is able to do his job as the fifth starter and get some wins along the way, it could potentially lead to a solid free agent contract in 2021. Much like Porcello, Stroman, and Matz, Wacha is betting on himself and the Mets hope it will pay off for them in 2020.
Overall: The Mets should have a solid rotation to compete in the NL East. As previously stated four out of the five starters are here to prove something to themselves and to the team and with that mentality it should motivate them to go very far. When you pair this rotation with the rest of the lineup, the Mets should have a fun, energetic, and close knit team that is ready to go to war with anyone.
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