As we near the start of the season, is there anything that spring training can tell us? There is conventional wisdom out there that says no, but at the Daily Stache we don’t put stock in conventional wisdom.
Here are some things that raise a Spock-like eyebrow with the Met’s staff:
Matt Harvey does not know why his last start was a train wreck. He’s sporting an ERA north of 6, with a WHIP closing in on 2 and only 7 k’s. In case we all forgot, Harvey’s last season was after a full year and a half of rehab. There was not really a chance for him to get to a dead-arm point, because he was consistently working and throwing. This year was a little different, so we should expect an uneven spring. It will be time to worry if he has these issues throughout the year. While many pitchers can come back 100% after one TJ, very few can come back after a second operation.
Not to outdo Harvey’s 6+ ERA, Matz was rocking an 8.31 going into the Nats game. He was able to get his ERA under 7, but more importantly remains a K-per inning starter. The sample size on Matz was fairly small thanks to injuries last year, but keep in mind, the Mets are not penciling him in to be a top of the rotation guy just yet. With a healthy Wheeler, I am not sure Matz would have started the year in the bigs. As long as Bartolo the Slender can keep giving you decent starts at the bottom of the rotation, the Met’s should not worry if Matz struggles out of the gate. Wheeler is back in somewhere near the trade deadline, and could give the rotation a nice boost if needed.
Glad to see the Mets did not put their eggs in the Mejia basket this winter. Familia has looked ok despite blowing a save this weekend. To be fair the guy has only saved one game in his spring training career, and his K per inning ration has remained average. On the flip side, you’d like to see Bastardo reduce his near 7 ERA, but like all things spring training, his ERA turns to 0.00 in a week.
I’ll leave this for you to ponder Mets fans: what is a bigger waste of 2 ½ hours? The last game of spring training when all position battles have been decided, and players are more concerned with getting through 9 innings as fast as possible than the quality of play OR watching your two childhood comic book heroes whine about their feelings while punching each other in the face without a coherent plotline?
