I should preface this article by stating that I believe Steven Matz has the potential to one day be a strong contributor at the Major League level. However, Matz does not seem to be quite ready for the big stage, and that may not necessarily be his fault. With a potential demotion hanging over Matz, it’s time for the New York Mets to whole-heartedly consider Logan Verrett as a long-term solution for the back-end of their rotation in 2016. After six shutout innings against the Miami Marlins today, that possibility could move closer toward becoming a reality.
Logan Verrett exits after 6.0 scoreless IP. RHP Jim Henderson takes the hill for the Miami 7th. #LGM
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 13, 2016
After being drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft, Steven Matz signed with the Mets directly out of high school. Matz sustained an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament and had to delay his professional debut almost three years. From 2013 to 2015, the Long Island native steadily rose through the ranks of the Mets’ minor leagues, but only accumulated sixty-nine starts before joining the big league club.
Matz showed flashes of promise at the Major League level in both the regular season and playoffs, but has lost time to injuries. To date, he only has seventy-seven career starts in his professional career. For the average Major League pitcher, that is a pretty low number in terms of seasoning and development. By comparison, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard all have over 110 starts under their belt in their professional careers (without even considering that Harvey and deGrom both played college baseball as well).
Scout calls for Steven Matz demotion as Collins’ worries grow https://t.co/lvoqHYzk3t via @nypost 8 days into the season…anonymity rains
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) April 12, 2016
Without Matz anchoring the back-end of the rotation, the gut reaction might be to panic until Zack Wheeler returns to from Tommy John surgery in July. However, the answer may be very well in front of Terry Collins in the form of Logan Verrett. Verrett was selected by the Mets in the third round of the 2011 draft. He rose steadily through the minor leagues as both a starter and reliever, and was even temporarily plucked as a Rule 5 draft pick by the Texas Rangers.
In 2015, Verrett threw 38.2 innings with the Mets, split between fourteen relief appearances and four spot starts. Posting an ERA of 3.03, Verrett was serviceable and provided valuable innings that gave the bullpen extra rest and gave Terry Collins room to space out his starters in the organization’s attempt to abide by innings limits.
In his second appearance of 2016, Logan Verrett provided a much needed boost for a struggling ball club. Losers of four in a row, the Mets entered Wednesday’s game sporting an offense that ranked in the basement of the league. With Jacob deGrom battling a minor lat injury and an overtaxed bullpen, Verrett came out and put up six goose eggs, shutting down a red-hot Marlins team and helping the Mets avoid being swept for the first time in 2016. Verrett’s composure in a game like today’s demonstrates his viability as a starter and makes the case that he deserves more than a few spot starts over the course of 2016. With Matz struggling and deGrom dealing with injury, the 25-year-old has, at the very least, earned himself another opportunity to start and to continue to show that he is talented enough to be more than a long-relief man in the Majors.
“He stepped up and pitched some big games when we needed him.” Terry Collins on @lverrett4 being reliable. #Mets pic.twitter.com/6QxAfOYWtD
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 12, 2016
Main Photo:
