New York Mets Pitching Staff To Hold Them Back in 2013

By Devin O'Barr
Johan Santana at Spring Training
The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports

Offensively the New York Mets have the look of a contender with an MVP candidate in David Wright and flexibility throughout the lineup. Unfortunately, the Mets pitching staff is one of the worst in the MLB.

The team’s ace is Johan Santana who was absolutely dreadful after throwing his no-hitter on June 1st, 2012 with a 8.27 ERA. Santana is now a shell of the pitcher he was with the Minnesota Twins where he won two American League Cy Young awards. This is definitely Santana’s last season in New York as the Mets have a team option for 2014 which they must decline.

After Santana the Mets will pitch Shaun Marcum who was 7-4 with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 with a 3.70 ERA. Hopefully Marcum can materialize into a dominating righty and shake the elbow issues that caused him to miss 12 starts last year. At 31-years-old the book is out on Marcum, however when he’s healthy he is a great inning eater as he threw in 200 innings in 2011.

Jon Niese will likely start the season as the Mets three starter where he will provide some much needed consistency as he has started 27 or more games in each of the last three seasons. Niese isn’t going to wow anyone, but his 13 wins and 3.40 ERA in 2012 have to be encouraging given the five year contract worth $25.5M that he received last April.

With R.A Dickey out of the picture the Mets will have to continue developing talent in their quest for their second NL East divisional title since 1989. As 2013 rolls on I think the Mets offense doesn’t pack a big enough punch to mask an awful pitching staff.

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