The season is officially heading into the dog days of the summer, which should result in a close finish for multiple National League teams in the playoff hunt. When the Mets head to Miami to open the second half of the season Friday night, they will look to remain in that position for the final […]
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The season is officially heading into the dog days of the summer, which should result in a close finish for multiple National League teams in the playoff hunt. When the Mets head to Miami to open the second half of the season Friday night, they will look to remain in that position for the final 67 games. With eight teams in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the NL, it appears that every series from here on out for the Mets will be as important as the last.
The starting pitching for New York has exceeded preseason expectations in several ways. The group is tied for sixth in earned runs in the National League, fourth in batting average against and third in hits allowed. With that being said, at times, specifically during the duration of Francisco Alvarez’s injury, there have been issues with consistently putting away opposing hitters and allowing too many free passes. The Mets’ rotation currently ranks 13th in the National League in strikeouts per nine and dead last in walks per nine.
Luis Severino. Photo by Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
At times this season, Severino has shown flashes of being the dominant pitcher he once was with the New York Yankees. In his first 18 starts of the season, he owns a record of 6-3 with a 3.78 ERA over 109 2/3 innings pitched, which leads the team while also coming in second in strikeouts with 81.
Quintana has thrived with Alvarez behind the dish, looking like a completely different pitcher at times. Across his five starts in June, he posted a 3.38 ERA with 26 strikeouts and a .242 batting average against. In comparison to the month of May when Alvarez was out with a thumb injury, Quintana carried a 7.20 ERA with 16 strikeouts and a .311 batting average against.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Manaea is currently on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career. Among qualified starters, he is tied for 12th in the National League in ERA (3.46), tied for 17th in strikeouts (96) and seventh in batting average against (.218). He leads the Mets’ starting rotation in each respective category among qualified pitchers.
With only eight starts after returning from a hip injury, Peterson has not yet met the requirements to be considered a qualified pitcher but has enjoyed a strong start to his season. He currently has a 4-0 record with a 3.09 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 43 2/3 innings pitched.
The Mets’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Scott has made eight starts with the Mets resulting in a 4.36 ERA with 35 strikeouts. Scott can be a solid starter down the line for the Mets but has a major problem with the long ball, giving up a home run in six of his first eight starts in the major leagues.
In his first two starts coming off a shoulder injury back in May, Megill completed back-to-back quality starts against two of the best teams in the league in the Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians before quickly falling off. Over his last five starts before being sent down to Triple-A, Megill was responsible for a 7.43 ERA while giving up three home runs.
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