It has been a massive offseason for the New York Mets organization.
The club is seemingly doing everything in its power to put together a contending squad.
The Mets have made several big splashes, but the team’s deal for Max Scherzer is the most notable of them all.
With Scherzer, New York is going to boast a lethal duo at the top of its rotation in 2022, with Jacob deGrom being the other piece.
Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco will also probably find themselves in New York’s rotation next season, giving the club four likely starters right now.
The fifth spot is somewhat of a question mark at the moment.
But four is enough to have some fun with some rankings.
Today, we’re going to rank how Scherzer, deGrom, Walker, and Carrasco measure up against one another.
4. Carrasco
Carrasco is a great story.
He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019, but he was able to courageously beat the disease and return to a big-league mound in 2020.
He wound up being very effective in 2020, as he pitched to a 2.91 ERA over 12 starts.
Carlos Carrasco, Filthy Back-to-Back Changeups (and Sword). 🍪🍪⚔️ pic.twitter.com/wpWR88SPyO
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 5, 2020
He had a tough 2021 season, however, and he’s going to have to prove himself in 2022.
Over 12 starts with the Mets this past season, he posted a 6.04 ERA and 5.22 FIP.
The righty will have to bring those numbers down in order to be a part of New York’s rotation for all of next season.
3. Walker
Walker was named an All-Star in the 2021 season, but his year took a turn for the worst after the Midsummer Classic.
He maintained a 2.66 ERA up until the All-Star break, but after it, the wheels fell off the wagon.
He got shelled to the tune of a 7.13 ERA over his final 13 outings.
Obviously, that’s not going to get the job done.
He has a pretty solid track record — a career 3.97 ERA and 4.31 FIP — but he needs to prove in 2022 that the end of his 2021 season was just a fluke.
Time will tell if he’s able to do so.
2. Scherzer
Of course, there’s an argument that Scherzer deserves the top spot on this list.
Ultimately, we’re going with deGrom for that No. 1 spot, but it’s reasonable to disagree.
The beauty in this for the Mets is that it doesn’t matter.
They don’t have to pick one or the other — they have both guys.
And that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Scherzer is coming off of another fantastic season.
He registered a 2.46 ERA and 2.97 FIP over 30 starts in 2021, including a nine-start stretch with the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he posted a ridiculous 0.78 ERA.
Over the last nine seasons, Scherzer owns a 2.82 ERA, 149 ERA+, 2.85 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP.
Even at the age of 37, the three-time Cy Young Award winner remains one of baseball’s best hurlers.
He’s going to be a monster for the Mets.
1. deGrom
If deGrom can stay steer clear of injures in 2022, he deserves this top spot.
When deGrom is healthy, there’s no pitcher in baseball who’s more dominant.
Injuries robbed him of a potentially historic season in 2021.
Over 15 starts, he pitched to a ridiculous 1.08 ERA and 1.24 FIP.
Jacob deGrom, Mean 100mph Fastball…and Sword. ⚔️
[Probably sword of the week] pic.twitter.com/u1bTYpHV3W— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 9, 2021
He has made 91 starts since the beginning of the 2018 season, and he has a 1.94 ERA over that span.
This guy is a video game.
New York’s rotation does have some question marks, but with Scherzer and deGrom at the top, this team is going to be a threat to win any potential playoff series.
NEXT: Are The Mets Now Better Than The Yankees?
