Lost in the agony that was Sunday’s 18-inning, 3-1 win (yes, the win was agonizing) over the Cardinals was another stellar start from someone who was considered an afterthought and the next pitcher to be jettisoned from the roster: Jon Niese.
He was brilliant for 7 2/3 innings on Sunday afternoon, allowing just five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings, extending an impressive run of eight starts in which he’s posted a 2.28 ERA despite going 2-3 with three no-decisions.
“I feel pretty good right now, just being able to put the ball where I want to and get quick outs and go deep into the games,” Niese said after the game.
As he’s done so impressively well over his last eight starts, Niese did a tremendous job of not only mixing all of his pitches on Sunday – including his curveball and cutter – but firing strike after strike and getting the Cardinals to bury both his two-seamer and cutter in particular right into the ground.
He doesn’t get a lot of swings and misses and his strikeout rate is down these days, which could be a product of working so aggressively inside the strike zone, resulting in the opposition attacking him early and not letting Niese get ahead of them.
But it could be a product his diminished stuff as well. His velocity is obviously not what it was 2-3 years ago, but he’s been able to accept that and make the appropriate adjustments to his repertoire to remain effective at this level. That’s something people in the organization have been impressed by with Niese over the last several seasons as he’s dealt with this challenge as well as various arm issues since 2013.
One of those adjustments has been the rediscovery of his curveball during this impressive run. When he was struggling in May, it seemed as though Niese had canned that pitch, relying primary on a two-seamer (which wasn’t sinking) and a cutter (which wasn’t cutting). Now, it’s very much a part of his routine and a huge key to his success, aside from the location of his two primary weapons.
Considering where he was just six weeks ago, it’s hard to imagine where this club would be without Niese, especially after they lost Steven Matz to the disabled list. He has been able to put the trade rumors, a potential transition to the bullpen, and all the awkwardness that coincides with that and derive success off of it.
The question now is, has Niese proven he’s more valuable to the club on their roster, or in a trade to another team? A compelling argument can be made for either case.
In his last eight starts, Niese has lowered his ERA to 3.36 for the season, which is good for 20th in the National League.
Just Mets 