ATLANTA – So when you talk about the Mets’ rotation, who makes up the front end and who makes up the back end?
“I don’t know,” Tom Glavine admitted. “Whoever’s pitching is the number-one guy.”
For perhaps the first time since their 91-win team of 1990, the Mets have a rotation which can legitimately claim five front-end starters. That year it was Frank Viola, Doc Gooden, David Cone, Sid Fernandez and Ron Darling. This season? Line ’em up: Glavine, Al Leiter, Steve Trachsel, Kris Benson, Victor Zambrano.
As far as depth and balance, it’s hard to think of another rotation that stacks up with the Mets’ current group. While there may be no dominant lights-out, automatic-win ace (a la Jason Schmidt or Curt Schilling), the Mets have five pitchers who, on any given night, give them a splendid chance of winning. Not many other teams can say that.
“If you try to match [our rotation] up against pretty much anybody’s in baseball,” Glavine said, “I don’t know that there are too many, if any, that are better or deeper.
“It’s a nice mix. You’ve got two young guys that are coming in here now to go along with three veteran guys who have a lot of experience and know how to pitch and can hopefully help those guys get to an even higher level. But I think it’s a pretty nice balance of veterans, of left-handers, right-handers, of guys who are power guys and guys who are location guys.”
What are the advantages of having a staff like this?
For one, it reduces the possibility the Mets will have prolonged losing streaks. With all due respect to some of the pitchers the team has trotted out to the mound this year, there are no James Baldwins or Scott Ericksons in this rotation, and not even any Jae Seos or Matt Ginters. Just five guys who are all capable on any given night of throwing seven or eight innings of one-run ball.
“It gives us a way of ending a possible losing streak quicker,” Trachsel said.
What it also does is allow the Mets the greater possibility of starting a long winning streak. Remember, when the Marlins embarked on their strong second-half run last year, it was primarily because they trotted out five starters – Josh Beckett, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis and Mark Redman – who all were capable.
“All I can compare it to is what we had for years in Atlanta,” Glavine said. “And when you show up every day with a guy on the mound that you’re confident is going to give you a good chance to win, it makes a big difference.
“The benefits of having a rotation that’s four guys deep or five guys deep over the course of the schedule, it’s huge. If we’re going to try to get ourselves in a position that we’re going to get on that run that everybody’s waiting for us to get on, that’s how you do it – by sending somebody out there five nights a week that’s going to give you a good feeling about going out and winning the game.”
It also gives the Mets a good feeling about their future. Assuming the Mets sign Benson and pick up Leiter’s club option for next year (the ares are good on both), the Mets will have this rotation from now through the end of next season. It’s part of Glavine’s excitement: The deals aren’t just designed for the 60 games left this season, they’re also about the 162 for next year.
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Krafty Kris
Kris Benson, who made his Mets debut last night, has been stellar in the month of July, as he has gone 3-1 and lowered his ERA from 5.11 to 4.22 in his last six starts with the Pirates. Here’s a closer look:
Last six starts
IP H ER BB SO HR W-L ERA
44 1/3 44 12 8 20 0 3-1 2.44
First 14 starts
IP H ER BB SO HR W-L ERA
88 93 57 36 63 7 5-7 5.83
Date — Opponent — Result — IP — H — ER — BB — SO — Decision
June 28 Cardinals W 2-1 8 6 1 3 1 ND
July 3 Brewers W 5-3 7 8 2 0 3 W (6-7)
July 8 Expos L 2-1 7 5 1 1 4 ND
July 16 Marlins W 6-2 8 1/3 8 2 1 4 W (7-7)
July 21 Braves W 4-3 8 5 2 0 4 W (8-7)
July 26 Braves L 4-2 6 7 4 3 4 L (8-8)
