As we await further news on the future of the MLB, we have the opportunity to look at the upcoming starting rotations for the 2020 season. Plenty of standout names assisted their respective franchise into the top five of this particular segment, as parity in baseball’s pitching depth has become apparent.
After missing the postseason in each of the last three seasons, the New York Mets stand with one of the premier starting rotations entering the upcoming season. While their team stats in ERA (4.24) and opponents batting average (.251) were subpar, the Mets finished in the top five in both shutouts (12) and strikeouts (1,520).
On Opening Day, New York will likely rely on Jacob deGrom. After back-to-back Cy Young awards, deGrom holds a career ERA of 2.62. During the 2019 season, he managed to lead the league in strikeouts (255) across 204 innings pitched.
After three consecutive seasons with 200+ innings pitched, the expectation is that the Mets will continue to utilize deGrom in must-win situations. With a larger starting rotation on hand though, perhaps the Mets will limit his innings.
After being dealt to the Mets during the 2019 season, Marcus Stroman showed flashes of excellance. With a Tommy John surgery already on his resume, New York will likely limit his participation to under 200 innings for the third consecutive season.
With the Blue Jays in 2019, Stroman posted a 6-11 record and 2.96 ERA. Since joining the Mets, he totaled a 4-2 record and inflated ERA of 3.77. Considering the Mets ranked 13th in runs per game (4.88) last season, Stroman should have enough offensive support to put up a favorable record this season.
A tenured veteran in Rick Porcello will help the Mets out during the 2020 season, as he inked a one-year deal worth roughly $10M. Porcello has spent the last 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.
Last season, the 31-year old managed to put across a 14-12 record on 174.1 innings pitched; his lowest since the 2015 campaign. The career of Porcello has been unique to say the least, as he’ finished with a winning record in three of the last four seasons, but has 10+ losses in six separate campaigns.
The Mets made an additional signing after bringing in Michael Wacha on a one-year deal. With the St. Louis Cardinals, Wacha has a career winning percentage of 60.2%. However, his 2019 record of 6-7 was his first losing season since 2015.
Surpassing 150+ innings pitched for the third time in his career would be the goal for the 2020 season. In addition, cutting down from his career-high 3.9 walks allowed per nine innings last season would be more than ideal for a Mets team that ranked 12th in least walks allowed (516).
After a career-high 11 wins during the 2019 season, the Mets are hoping to build upon the success of Steven Matz. Despite the low points, Matz finished with 150+ strikeouts for the second consecutive season. The expectation for the 28-year old isn’t to total 7+ innings per outing, but there is confidence that he can be a solid contributor to New York’s rotation.
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