Why Taijuan Walker Deserves Spot in New York Mets' Postseason Rotation
The New York Mets are officially playing in the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres this weekend.
The three-game series is set to feature Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt as New York looks to book a trip to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
While the Wild Card pitching trio is set, should the Mets advance to the NLDS, they will need another arm to add to the rotation for a longer series.
On Tuesday at Citi Field, both Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker got one last chance to make a case to be in the rotation for the postseason.
Carrasco, 35, went just four innings and yielded two runs on five hits, with both runs coming via a home run from Riley Adams.
With the outing, the 13-year MLB native finishes the regular season with a sub-4.00 ERA, 15 wins, and 152.0 innings pitched, his most since 2018 with Cleveland.
While Carrasco put together a healthy season, the 152.0 innings clearly gassed him, as he sputtered towards the finish line.
In his final seven starts, the right-hander had a 4.88 ERA and allowed 34 hits in 27.2 innings.
Carrasco is a seasoned veteran who has playoff experience; he went to the World Series with the then-Cleveland Indians in 2016, so he will surely earn a spot on the postseason roster, though perhaps not in the rotation.
Walker, 30, went four innings on Tuesday just as Carrasco did, but fared better as he struck out 10 and scattered just four hits at a damp and cold Citi Field.
A 2021 All-Star, Walker fell off a cliff in the second half last season, and wound up finishing the season with a 4.47 ERA.
This year, Walker put together a fine campaign, as he ended the regular season with a 3.49 ERA and 2.5 fWAR.
Due to Carrasco pitching more innings than he has in five seasons, and with every game in the postseason as crucial as it is, Carrasco may be destined for a bullpen role going forward.
The Mets will have some time to make a decision. They first have to make it through the Wild Card round before anything, but if they do so, they will have used at least two of three of deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt.
Should they advance beyond that, they will need a reliable arm against the Dodgers, and Walker proved down the stretch he is just that, and has earned a spot in the playoff rotation.
Read More:
- Mets Division Title Hopes Dwindle After Being Swept by Braves
- Max Scherzer Shaky, Mets' Offense Silent in 2nd Straight Loss to Braves
- Mets ace Jacob deGrom Dealing With Blood Blister, Cut Cuticle
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