It feels like just yesterday the Mets were bringing up guys like Chris Schwinden to make spot starts.
Throughout the last eight playoff-less years, injuries have constantly been in the middle of things. That is when you have to bring in spot starters for the oft-injured Johan Santana’s of the world. Usually a spot starter is what it sounds like, a guy like Schwinden making a start or two while the injured pitcher recovers, then go back down to the minors when the injured pitcher returns.
For the 2015 Mets there spot starters are more than just SPOT starters. In this case they are the #1 prospect in the entire farm system, #13 in all of baseball. He already has his own established nickname, and throws 98 MPH fastballs. His name is Noah Syndergaard and he is causing a lot of good problems the Mets haven’t had in years.
Through the first 39 games all the problems have come from the offense. Pitching and especially the starting pitching has been superb. Unfortunately, the Mets farm system is not filled with star hitters rather star pitchers. Three of the most highly regarded players in the system happen to be starting pitchers. Most times you hear, there’s never enough starting pitchers, but the Mets are the exception to that rule. When Zach Wheeler went down to Tommy John surgery before the season even started team management looked like geniuses for not trading Dillon Gee. When Gee was said to be out a few weeks über prospect Noah Syndergaard and Mets fans for that matter would get just a taste of what was hopefully the start of a long and successful career. Management again looks bad for not trading Gee. Syndergaard has made two starts and already shown why he is such a heralded prospect. He also has shown why he CANNOT be sent down again.
This “debate” has been talked about all over the media. This really isn’t a debate. Noah Syndergaard CANNOT be sent down again. He is MLB ready and everybody knows it. It would be a shame if the Mets stopped throwing out Degrom, Syndergaard, followed by Harvey every time through the rotation. Dillion Gee is a quality fifth starter in this league but fortunately for the Mets they don’t need to stoop down to fifth starter quality.
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