Mets Memo - 3/28
It’s my first crack at writing a Mets Memo! Thanks to Dan for giving me a chance, and let’s hope I’m allowed back at some point…
Since it’s my first Mets Memo, let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m John, I’m from Somers, Connecticut, my favorite sport is Water Polo, and my favorite Met is Zack Wheeler.
I know what you’re thinking. “Zack Wheeler? He hasn’t pitched in like 12 years!” Yes, yes, I know it’s been awhile since Wheeler’s been on the mound for the Mets (31 months, to be exact) but he’s still one of my favorite players nonetheless. Here are three reasons why:
1. He’s been dealt a tough hand
I didn’t really take much of a liking to Wheeler when he first came to the Mets; in fact, I HATED that the Mets only got him in return for Carlos Beltran when he had barely advanced into AA ball. And when Wheeler eventually did make his MLB debut in 2013, he wasn’t all that special: he had a good fastball and changeup, but not a ton else. Still, I felt incredibly disappointed that he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery two Spring Trainings ago. Not only was it disappointing for the Mets (who didn’t really have the plethora of pitching options back then as they do now) but for Wheeler as well. It always sucks to see a young pitcher’s career get derailed by injuries.
2. He Loves Being a Met
Back in the Summer of 2015, Wheeler was included in that legendary Wilmer Flores for Carlos Gomez deal that never actually ended up happening. And Wheeler, who had just gone under the knife a few months before, came out and told the media he was thrilled the trade didn’t go through because he wanted to prove himself in New York. As we all know, NYC is one of most unforgiving sports markets in the country, and I have tremendous respect for players like that. That was my turning point with Wheeler. Very few players would ever come out and make the statement he did.
3. He’s going to be an important piece this season
On paper, this Mets rotation (Syndergaard, Matz, DeGrom, Harvey, and whoever the fifth starter will be) is one of the strongest in the league, and will need to play at that level in order for a World Series run. But as Mets fans know oh-so-well from last season, pitching injuries are bound to happen. Heck, Steven Matz might not even make it to Opening Day without a DL stint. So depth will be certainly important, and let’s hope the team can avoid last year’s jury-rigged rotation when they had to start Gabriel Ynoa for a few games. Good Times. But anyway, even if Wheeler doesn’t make the rotation on opening day, (and his last Spring start on 3/27, when he threw 5 scoreless and hit 96 MPH on the gun will made him hard to ignore) the odds are very good he’s going to be a member of the starting rotation at some point. Wheeler may not be a social media legend like Syndergaard, have a killer change-up like DeGrom, or a nasty slider like Harvey. But he’s going to be a valuable piece of this Mets team, and they need all hands on deck if the they’re going to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy this fall.
