AL scout concerned for New York Mets starting pitchers - "With that much wear and tear, you have to consider the worst"
The addition of Justin Verlander during the offseason catapulted the New York Mets' rotation to the top of the line. Many analysts predicted that this was the best starting rotation not just in the National League, but in the majors.
Less than three months into the season, the Mets are four games below .500 and fourth in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Where did it all go wrong for the most expensive roster in the MLB?
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will have to take some responsibility for the team's sluggish start. They are the two highest earners in the MLB with a combined yearly salary of over $86 million. They each have three Cy Young Awards to their name and together have been selected to 17 All-Star games.
In a recent article for the New York Post, one American League scout attributed the two pitchers' problems to age and being overworked over the years.
"Any time you have a pitcher that’s logged as many innings as the two of them, with that much wear and tear, you have to consider the worst."
Scherzer, 38, is currently in his 16th season in the majors. He has played in 441 regular season games and pitched a total of 2,738.2 innings.
Max Scherzer vs. Yankees tonight:
3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 76 P
4.45 season ERA https://t.co/lsK9DYflwm
"Max Scherzer vs. Yankees tonight: 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 76 P 4.45 season ERA" - Talkin Baseball
Verlander is currently in the first year of a two-year deal with the New York Mets. He turned 40 years old in February. The veteran righty has played in 490 regular season games racking up an incredible 3,208 innings.
The New York Mets invested heavily in starting pitching during the offseason
The New York Mets invested heavily in pitching over the previous few seasons with the hope that a strong defense could guide them to a championship. That hasn't been the case.
.@EvanRobertsWFAN is not in a good mood, and says it's mainly because of "those two stiffs" Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer
@CartonRoberts https://t.co/3SGo9hJkrr
".@EvanRobertsWFAN is not in a good mood, and says it's mainly because of "those two stiffs" Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer @CartonRoberts" - WFAN Sports Radio
Justin Verlander was the big-money signing this year but the Mets also added former St. Louis Cardinals lefty Jose Quintana. So far, the new-look Mets rotation has failed to deliver.
Age seems to be a factor for these two extremely talented and established pitchers. It is still early in the season, but the Mets will rely heavily on Verlander and Scherzer and need them to improve if they hope to make a playoff push in the final stages of the campaign.