The New York Mets rotation has been amazing all year long, despite only having the Max Scherzer – Jacob deGrom pairing for nine starts (all by ‘Mad Max’).
Guys like Tylor Megill and Carlos Carrasco started off the year on fire, only to decline in the following weeks.
But Chris Bassitt, David Peterson, Trevor Williams, and Taijuan Walker have been consistent all season long.
Walker, in particular, has had an excellent season, even if his strikeout rate is not ideal.
As a result, and in an effort to secure the biggest possible payday, he has made an agent switch.
“Taijuan Walker has hired the Scott Boras Corporation to represent him. Free agent having nice year,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted on Monday.
Taijuan Walker has hired the Scott Boras Corporation to represent him. Free agent having nice year.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 11, 2022
The Free Agent To Be Is Having A Nice Year
Walker will test the free agent waters once the year ends, and if he keeps pitching like this, he has a chance to earn top dollar in the market.
In 85.2 innings so far in 2022, the right-hander has a rock-solid 2.63 ERA.
His 1.10 WHIP is also indicative of his success.
His strikeout numbers were not good in the early going, but has been coming around on that front and now has a 20 percent strikeout rate: still a bit below-average, but soaring.
The Mets have given him all the necessary tools to succeed, thanks mainly to pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
The primary person responsible, however, is Walker himself, who is trying to prove that his bad second half in 2021 is a thing of the past.
Walker is one of the reasons the Mets have been able to take over first place in the NL East for so long.
The Atlanta Braves are now knocking at their door with just a 1.5-game deficit: Walker and the rest of the staff will be tasked with keeping that gap, or making it larger.
NEXT: Brandon Nimmo Summed Up The 2022 Reds This Week