Queens Gambit

 

So here's the big story. The Mets' rotation. Megill-Scherzer-Bassitt-Carrasco-Walker-Peterson. Lowest ERA in the league. And they didn't even need Jacob deGrom for it.

It's really just a sign of the organization depth the Mets retained by not dealing David Peterson or Tylor Megill for prospects. Megill has been something close to an ace, with a 2.20 ERA, 15 Ks and some nice innings-eating through his 3 starts. Scherzer has also been pretty awesome, and as I write this has been pummeling the Giants with peak career nastiness. Chris Bassitt is having the most statistically impressive season of everybody, winning both his games with a 0.75 ERA and 14 Ks. And Carlos Carrasco, who I'd essentially written off, has allowed 1 earned run in 10.2 innings, looking very much like his old Cleveland self. And if Taijuan Walker will be gone a while, David Peterson's first start seems to indicate that they'll be alright.

Here's why this is important.

In 2012, the Mets bring up Matt Harvey, hoping to jumpstart a new era of homegrown Mets pitching. With Harvey, deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, the Mets put together a youth-driven rotation that made them a force in 2015 and the mid-2010s. People feared they'd all blow their arms out, and while this worry has persisted with a few of them [Harvey, deGrom and Wheeler especially], they are all still employed on major league rosters.

The key word their is rosterS. Only deGrom is still in Queens. Harvey's in the minors for Baltimore dodging accusations of killing Tyler Skaggs, Thor's in Anaheim and off to a great start, Matz is in St. Louis and similarly surging, and Wheeler is in Philly and struggling through his opening starts after what should have been a Cy Young season. With deGrom injured, this is the first season of Mets baseball in 10 years not to include one of those fearsome five pitchers in the rotation. For a lot of teams, this represents a sea change that leads to a slow regime change and rebuilding anew. Not the case with the Mets. While Peterson and Megill were homegrown, the rest were either signed or traded for, because they have the money and status to do that right now.

And...right now, all six of them are working. ALL SIX. For a team that has, until recently, been defined by solely Jacob DeGrom, this is huge. And I am glad it is happening right now. I am also glad that despite some similar dealing, the bullpen is still working, and Adam Ottavino has proven to be a good signing. 

The Mets, this year, very well could be a first place team. The Phils are struggling, the Marlins and Nats look to be smaller teams, and the Braves haven't entirely shown up yet. The Mets have the pitching working, and have excellent seasons from Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte and Pete Alonso brewing. The core seems to be working, the bench seems to be supplanting them, and the team feels fuller and more realized than it has in a while. If it happens, it will happen this year. If not...I wish the Mets fans the best of luck.

Coming Tonight: One of the biggest prospects from a few years ago, still looking to break out fully.