Just Mets

The Mets open the unofficial second half of their season on Friday night against the Cardinals with a 47-42 record, two games behind the Nationals in the National League East and just one game behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card in the National League.

If the Mets manage to get beyond game 162 on October 4 and are involved in a one-game playoff scenario, the Mets could be faced with a most difficult decision on which of their starting pitchers would start that game.

Or, maybe not…

If the Mets find themselves in a Game 163 or the Wild Card game, they’re going to have a decision to make, but in my opinion, the clear-cut option to start that game is not Matt Harvey.

It’s Jacob deGrom.

Now look, I’m a huge Matt Harvey fan. I’ve bought into the whole “Dark Knight” thing, #HarveyDay and I even have a shirt with his initials on it (shoutout to The 7 Line).

Still, the Mets best pitcher this season, without a doubt, has been deGrom. Period.

Not only does deGrom lead the Mets staff with his 2.14 ERA this season and not only does he rank fifth in baseball in that category, but in the last calendar year, deGrom owns an ERA of 2.11–the second-lowest mark in baseball over that time and better than Dallas Kuechel, Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez and Chris Sale, among others.

DeGrom hasn’t just established himself as the Mets ace over the past year, but as one of the preeminent starting pitchers in this sport.

We got a little taste of deGrom in the spotlight recently when he made his first career All-Star appearance, and man did he shine. DeGrom pitched one inning, threw 10 pitches, faced three batters and struck them all out with ease. His fastball was electric, his breaking ball was devastating and not a single Americab League All-Star could touch him.

He’s ready for the big stage.

With the Mets season on the line, there’s no one else I’d rather have in a win-or-go-home situation than deGrom. Whoever the Mets would be facing would likely be a tough challenge, but I like their chances with this guy on the mound.

On name alone, it has to be Matt Harvey, right?

He’s “the guy” this rotation revolves around.  He started the 2013 All-Star at Citi Field. He’s the starting pitcher everyone expects to one day pitch the no-hitter for this club. He had his own E:60 special about his rapid success. Hell, whenever he pitches, the day is called “Harvey Day.”

But that was all before he stepped on the mound post-Tommy John surgery.

Harvey has shown flashes of brilliance on the mound this year, but there’s a reason why Jacob deGrom has been referred to as the co-ace and if there’s one game I need to win, the reigning Rookie of the Year should get the ball.

DeGrom has been nothing short of spectacular in 2015. He leads all Mets pitchers with his 2.14 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a .206 batting average against. Harvey is second behind deGrom in all those categories with a 3.07 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a .231 batting average against. Lastly, deGrom has allowed more than three earned runs in all of two games over 18 starts this season. Harvey has given up more than three earned runs in four of his 17 starts.

The numbers just don’t lie. While they’re only reflective of the first half of the season but for 2015, deGrom has clearly been the ace of the staff and therefore deserves the biggest game of the season, should the Mets get there.

The Mets lone all-star of the season hasn’t been as flashy as Harvey in public. He doesn’t have the same name recognition that Harvey has accumulated in his his 53 career starts, either. But he showed he can shine on the big stage after impressively striking out the side on ten pitches in his inning of work at the All-Star Game.

It’s deGrom’s time to shine.

Oh, and if deGrom were to spin another gem, that Harvey guy starts game one of the National League Division Series, anyway. The situation could be worse.

Keep in mind, the Mets need to get their first.

If the Mets get to a game 163, it’s probable the Mets will be playing down to the wire against the Nationals in game 162. And, even if Washington is already in the tournament, they are unlikely to completely relent against the Mets, a team they’ve owned in their own building for a number of years.

With that said, there’s no telling how the rotation will shake out, or who might be available to start a one-game playoff. It’s quite possible the Mets would need two or three of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz in their weekend series against the Nationals leading up to that supposed culminating game.

And, the Mets might need to plan ahead for that game depending on where it is as well. As it stands today, the Mets would be playing the Wild Card game against the Cubs in Chicago, against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, or against either the Diamondbacks or Giants at Citi Field. But if the game ends up being out west, the Mets may need to fly a starter out to the west coast ahead of time in anticipation of that game.

The point is, it’s going to come down to availability for who starts that game, followed by the next available starter if that guy is ineffective. This is an, “all hands on deck,” situation, which could also be the case against Washington in the final weekend of the season. It’s not necessarily going to be about who deserves it, or who might be the best guy for the job, either.

Getting there might be the hardest part, anyway. They can’t ever completely plan on playing that game until they clinch that berth – they must do whatever it takes to get there first. If they do plan on it, that could mean they won’t be playing that game.

So, if it’s Jon Niese or Bartolo Colon, then so be it if they are the best available options.