It has been short outings for the New York Mets starting pitchers against the San Francisco Giants this weekend and fans are desperate with their poor performance. Kodai Senga pitched just four innings on Saturday while Frankie Montas fared no better on Sunday in the final game of the series. The right-hander lasted just four and a half innings where he allowed seven earned runs and seven hits, including a three-run home run. He struck out only three and walked two in a 12-4 drubbing for the New York team.
It was the second consecutive difficult outing for Montas, who allowed five earned runs and eight hits Monday against the San Diego Padres. The Mets rookie now has a 6.68 ERA in seven starts and has raised concerns for the Mets’ starting pitchers, who since June 11 have pitched a total of 9.1 innings in the sixth, while their bullpen has absorbed most of the work, pitching a total of 34.1 innings.
Should the starting pitching be changed by Carlos Mendoza?
Given that the New York Mets are not getting their starting pitchers to last long, should now be the right time to call up two of their young pitching prospects as they continue their search for another postseason spot? They are Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, who have had excellent seasons at Triple-A Syracuse. Sproat is ranked fifth among New York prospects by MLB.com and has recently regained his form after a difficult start at Triple-A.
After posting a 4.29 ERA in five starts during April, followed by a disappointing 6.56 ERA in five starts in May, the right-handed pitcher has finally found his groove. While he had a 4.15 ERA in June, July was a dominant month for Sproat; in five starts, the 24-year-old went 2-0 with a 0.67 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Mets to rely on young arms from Triple-A affiliate
McLean has also shone this year pitching for Syracuse. In 14 games (11 starts) this season, the Mets’ No. 3 prospect is 5-4 with a 3.01 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Aside from David Peterson’s dominance this season, the rest of the Mets’ rotation has struggled to earn innings over the past two months due to ineffective outings and the growing injuries they have faced.
With the Mets looking for another big playoff run this year, having consistent starting pitching is key in October. It remains to be seen what the team’s plan is for when, or if, Sproat and McLean will be promoted this season, but they could be a solution for the rotation, which is going through difficulties from now until the end of the regular season.
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