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The top part of the rotation for the New York Mets this season has been pretty solid. Bartolo Colon, who has struggled of late, still posts a 9-6 record with 92.0 innings pitched. Jacob deGrom, who is likely to receive an All-Star selection, has a record of 8-5 with a 2.15 ERA. This is especially impressive considering he struggled early in the season. In the month of April, he had a 2-3 record and a 3.34 ERA. But since then, he has really turned his play up a notch. Matt Harvey has a 7-5 record and a 3.14 ERA. He too has also been pitching better of late, especially in his last two starts.
The problem lies within the bottom part of the rotation. Dillon Gee had been a huge disappointment, posting an 0-3 record with a 5.90 ERA. He gave up an alarming 55 hits in just 39.2 innings pitched, and as a result he was sent down to the minor leagues. Jonathon Niese is also having a subpar start to the season. He posts a 3-7 record with a 4.12 ERA. Since making his first start May 12 against the Chicago Cubs, Noah Syndergaard has had a hard time adjusting to the big leagues. He has a 2-4 record and a 4.03 ERA. These three pitchers have been inconsistent, and when they have been bad, it has been really bad.
Then there comes the promising prospect Steven Matz. He has been tearing up Triple-A ball, posting a 7-4 record with a 2.19 ERA. His most impressive stat is that he has struck out 90 batters in 90.1 innings. Reports have surfaced that Matz will be promoted and make his MLB debut on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Terry Collins has voiced his opinion about using a six-man rotation, with the presumed inclusion of Matz. This can only be positive moving forward for the Mets. They are in need of an effective left-hander in their rotation, since Niese has pitched so poorly. Plus, the young pitcher will give good competition to the bottom half of the rotation, which maybe can spark them to pitch better. Also, if Matz does prove to be just as good as advertised, he could be the trade bait the Mets need to fill the offensive void that they desperately need to fill.
Barry Holmes is a New York Mets Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+
