 |
An evaluation of the New York Mets pitching staff
In this post, I hope to provide a clear synopsis of why the Mets pitchers as a whole just haven't been holding up their end of the bargain. I am going to go through each pitcher on the Mets roster, and I am going to give you their name, grade and a brief description for why I think so. We will start from the top.
1) Johan Santana: Grade - A
Santana has been as good as advertised here in the early going. He is currently 3-2 on the season, but we all know he should be 4-1. He has kept the Mets in every game this year that he's been involved in, maybe with the one exception being his first home start versus the Brewers. He has posted a 3.12 ERA and has struck out 32 batters to go along with just five walks. The Mets have themselves an ace. Now they need to get the rest of the staff going.
2) Pedro Martinez: Grade - D
Martinez lasted a mere 3.1 innings this season before injuring himself yet again. He is supposed to be out until at least early June, and he is hurting his chances of getting a big contract in the off season. The Mets still made a good investment by bringing him in, because without him, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, and many other Latin players that make up this team may not be here.
> Look to Pro Baseball Fans for MLB news and buy NY Mets apparel & merchandise.
3) John Maine: Grade - B-
Maine had an excellent spring and many baseball experts were picking him to win 15 games again. Early on, he hasn't gotten much run support, as he is sporting a 3.57 ERA, which is quite good. He has to work on keeping the ball in the zone, as evidenced by his 14 walks in 22.2 innings pitched. We all know it is just a matter of time before he is right, but the Mets need him to be on his game now.
4) Oliver Perez: Grade - C+
Perez is currently 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA. While those numbers are good on the surface, what they don't point out is the fact that Perez has let two substantial leads get away, which is a trend he started last season. The Mets need him to produce, because they are thin when it comes to pitchers. He has walked 16 batters in 27.1 innings pitched, which is something that he is going to have to work on. He also has to work on being more consistent. One start, he will look like he is on the same level as Santana, and the next, he will look like a left handed Steve Trachsel. Perez needs to perform, because this is most likely his last season with the Mets, because he will hit free agency after the season.
5) Mike Pelfrey: Grade - B
Pelfrey is currently 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings pitched. He has been fearless with the fastball, and he has been rewarded because of it. In his one sub par star, he forgot that he has other affective pitches besides his fastball, and he needs to use them if he wants to be successful. He had one start in which he went seven innings, and the Mets are going to need more of that out of him so that they can rest their tired and inconsistent bullpen. Pelfrey is trying to sure up a spot in the Mets' future plans, so all eyes are on him.
6) Nelson Figueroa: Grade - A
This guy has been one of the best stories in baseball this season. A Brooklyn born guy, he always had the dream of playing for the New York Mets, and once he got the chance, he is not wasting his opportunity. He has been a godsend for the Mets thus far, going 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA. He has walked 10 batters in 20 innings pitched, so he will need to get that number down a bit. As long as he keeps pitching well, he will remain in the rotation, at least until Pedro Martinez or Orlando Hernandez comes back, which may not be for a long time.
7) Jorge Sosa: Grade - F
Sosa has been just as bad, if not even worse than Aaron Heilman this season. Even though he is 2-1 on the season, he is a 7.36 ERA in 12 games this season. He has gave up 12 earned runs in 14.2 innings pitched, and he has walked eight. He also gave up a grand slam earlier in the year. He has always been a guy who is prone to throwing the longball. The reason is because he usually gets enfatuated with throwing the one pitch that is working for him. Maybe Rick Peterson should sit down with him, and explain to him that you need to change speeds and not throw the ball down the middle of the plate.
8) Aaron Heilman: Grade - F
In 13 innings pitched to this point in the season, Heilman has given up nine earned runs, and has served up a starting four home runs already, including a grand slam that Felipe Lopez hit off of him last night. Heilman has also walked eight batters, including Lastings Milledge right before the Lopez grand slam. Heilman needs a new scene to pitch, because he may be the single most hated player on the Mets. It is never a good sign when the fans boo you before you throw a single pitch to the plate. The bottom line is this. Heilman looks lost, and he needs to find himself quick, or else he may soon find himself out of a job.
9) Joe Smith: Grade - B
Smith has been pretty good to this point in the season, letting up just three earned runs in 10.1 innings pitched this season. He is also sporting an under-three earned run average, which is always good for any pitcher. Aside from Duaner Sanchez, Smith is probably the top right handed reliever that Willie Randolph has at his disposal, and I wouldn't be surprised if he soon starts to get some opportunities that are usually given to Aaron Heilman and Jorge Sosa.
10) Scott Schoenweis: Grade - B-
Schoenweis has a 3.38 ERA in just five and a third innings thus far this season. He is very good against lefties, with the exception being that one lolly pop that he served up to Chase Utley earlier in the season. He has only struck out one batter to this point, and I am sure Rick Peterson would like to see that number change very soon. Schoenweis is in no danger of losing his job, especially since he is signed through next season.
11) Duaner Sanchez: Grade - A-
I feel reluctant to give Sanchez the full A grade because he still hasn't proved that he can go on 2 or 3 days straight. In five innings thus far this season, Sanchez has only allowed two hits and has struck out three in those performances. He has emerged as the clear option to be the eighth inning set up guy for Billy Wagner, and I think that should be the best role for him as we move forward.
12) Pedro Feliciano: Grade - B+
Feliciano has been very good to this point of the season, as he has pitched in ten games thus far. He is sporting a 1.69 ERA, and has eight strikeouts in just 5.1 innings pitched. The thing that limits him from being an A candidate is the fact that he has walked six guys thus far, which is way more than he should walk in that short of a span.
13) Billy Wagner: Grade - A+
Wagner has been as good as I have ever seen him in his major league career. During the pre season, Wagner decided to use the wind up, rather than just working from the stretch like he has always done, and it has produced positive results. In eight innings this year, Wagner has yet to allow a hit, and he has struck out eight batters and walked just two. It's too bad that he hasn't gotten more opportunities to close, because there is not a hotter closer in baseball right now than Billy Wagner.
Until next time...
By Mike Ganci
ProBaseball-fans.com Staff Writer
> View all of the MLB baseball news articles from ProBaseball-fans.com.