Mets' Rotation Ranked As Top Unit In Baseball By MLB.com
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JUPITER -- After adding Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to a unit that already had two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, It's hard to deny that the Mets have the best rotation in the league on paper ahead of the 2022 regular-season.
And according to MLB.com's latest list, the Mets sit at the top of the mountain as the No. 1 ranked unit in baseball.
But these preseason accolades hardly mean anything if the results don't translate onto the field during the regular-season.
While no one should be questioning the projected stat lines of a dominant 1-3 that the Mets will deploy in their rotation, the key will be the health of the Mets' three-headed monster. If deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt are all able to make 30+ starts, the Mets will likely be a top contender in the National League, based off the track record of this trio.
However, last season the Mets dealt with a slew of injuries on their pitching staff. DeGrom was knocked out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury following a July 7 start, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to make it through a full-campaign in 2022. In the same breath, Scherzer is climbing the ladder in age, as he enters the season at 37-years-old. Scherzer also dealt with a dead arm in the postseason, which prevented him from making a Game 6 start in the NLCS with the Dodgers last October.
On top of these factors, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker are both coming back from offseason surgery. At times, these veteran hurlers have showed signs of brilliance, however, they remain as question marks as we ascend into the regular-season. Luckily, the Mets have Tylor Megill, who has been impressive in camp so far, lefty David Peterson and versatile pitcher Trevor Williams as depth starters.
Manager Buck Showalter is also aware of the reality. The Mets' rotation has a chance to do something special this season, but their starters must stay on the field in order to fulfill expectations.
“I hope,” Showalter said, after being told about MLB.com's rankings. “We have the potential to be a good rotation — I’m not getting into the numbers. The big thing is health.”
Although health is a main cause for concern across a full-season, It's not difficult to envision the Mets' rotation, headlined by deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt, becoming one of the best units of all-time.
