While this offseason hasn’t been the most exciting one, the Mets are still bringing back the majority of their pitchers, with the exception being Jon Niese, who was dealt to the Pirates for Daniel Murphy’s replacement Neil Walker.
While Zack Wheeler is often referred to as the unproven commodity, a sentiment which I agree with, Steven Matz fits that bill as well. While we saw flashes of brilliance from him in 2015, there are several questions which need to be answered, most of which pertain to his ability to stay healthy for a full season.
In six games last season, Mats was 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. In 35.2 innings pitched, he struck out 34 and walked 10. But the injury bug bit him more than once. After his second start, the Mets announced that Matz tore his lat muscle, and he would miss at least a month. He also dealt with general soreness towards the end of the season. This is a guy who had Tommy John Surgery in 2010. He’s proven to be a bit fragile, and the Mets hope for some stability moving forward.
With Jon Niese being shipped out of town, it’s clear the Mets trust Matz to be that lefty they need to keep opponents off balance. Matz doesn’t appear scared of the big-league challenge, and he’s quickly rising in popularity, which is also the case for his grandfather, who put on quite a show with Steven’s three-hit performance against Cincinnati.
I am looking forward to watching Matz grow, and I am rooting for him…not only because he’s a Long Island kid like me, but because his success is vital if the Mets want to complete the quest they came oh so close to completing last season.
Let’s Go MATZ!
