The Mets Need Their Aces ASAP.
Credit: MLB.com.
When the New York Mets signed Max Scherzer on Dec. 1, they did so with a two-headed dragon in mind.
One day opposing teams would face two-time Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star Jacob deGrom. The next day they’d stare down Scherzer’s different-colored eyes along with his three Cy Youngs and nine All-Star nods.
That idealistic winter dream never survived Spring Training.
Initially, the prospect of playing without deGrom was a daunting process. He's been the best pitcher in baseball for the last three seasons. But as the Mets stacked wins as the season deepened, the prospect became easier to welcome.
Instead of panicking until deGrom returned, the Mets could pace him to get the best version of himself when competition tightens. His time away meant he’d return fully capable of fulfilling Flushing’s prophecy.
Now the Mets hope the same will be true when Scherzer returns from an oblique strain that’s sidelined him since May 18.
While New York is 15-8 since scars are beginning to appear under the surface. And the demand for deGrom and Scherzer’s return grows louder with each passing day.
Particularly deafening is the play of the team’s other pitchers since Scherzer's injury. On May 18, the club’s 128 earned runs granted them a 3.32 earned-run-average (ERA), the fifth-best. In 23 games since the Mets have allowed 109 runs for a 4.84 ERA.
While the Mets still have the 15th-best ERA, the only teams with a worse ERA since May 18 are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Washington Nationals. The only team on that list with an over 50% chance of making the playoffs are the White Sox, according to Fangraphs metrics.
That’s not to say New York’s playoff chances have plummeted. Fangraphs still gives the team an 89.6% chance despite their recent struggles.
One pitcher who has particularly struggled is Chris Bassitt. The right-hander carried a 2.34 ERA through his first seven starts and settled into a suitable role as the third arm in the rotation. However, Bassitt’s bumbled his way through his last five starts with a 7.64 ERA.
Though Scherzer’s injury has been a major factor to Bassitt, the injury to catcher James McCann may have played a larger role. Before being placed on the injured list with a broken bone in his wrist, McCann caught Bassitt five times. When they're battery mates, the duo pitched at least six innings on less than 100 pitches, touted a 2.61 ERA, and contained opposing hitters to a .193 average.
Since McCann’s injury, catcher Tomás Nido has caught Bassitt five times. In those five starts, opposing hitters have a .301 batting average, a .928 on-base plus slugging, and eight home runs. Bassitt has a 7.71 ERA with Nido behind the plate and struck out nine fewer hitters than he did with McCann.
That does not mean McCann’s return means more to the Mets than deGrom or Scherzer. Both pitchers have performed just as well if not better with Nido than McCann. Rather, it demonstrates another domino effect in a season of them.
The success of other teams in the NL East is yet another domino effect stressing the return of the Mets starters. The Atlanta Braves are currently on an 11-game winning streak, while the Philadelphia Phillies just concluded a nine-game winning streak.
The Mets 10.5 game lead on the Braves and Phillies they had on June 2 has shrunk to 5.5 in 12 days. Bluntly, the notion that New York will easily claim the NL East this season has become another daydream. Just as fanciful as that of their two-headed dragon.
The Mets no longer need deGrom and Scherzer to return to prepare them for the playoffs. They need their return to ensure they make the playoffs.
That said, light is beginning to strain underneath the Queens Summer sky. Last Friday, Tylor Megill made his first start since May 4 and showed shades of his old self. The lanky right-hander’s fastball struck out four through 3.1 innings while his fastball touched 99 miles-per-hour.
As for the Mets co-aces, Scherzer has already begun throwing bullpen sessions and could be on pace to start his rehab assignments later this week, according to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated.
There is also optimism that while deGrom has yet to face live batters, it’s the final hurdle before he can begin his rehab assignment and return to the big leagues in July.
All of this is good news. Of that, there is little doubt. Yet in Queens as of late, good news has been about as reliable as the team’s pitching.
