Image credits: Chris Simon and Roberto Carlo
Whenever it is that this lockout ends (let’s go, MLB ownership; it’s fair business practices season), Mets fans are primed to have some fun.
As you may have heard, New York signed veteran, Hall of Fame-bound right-hander Max Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million deal ahead of the leaguewide shutdown, pairing him with All-World righty Jacob deGrom atop the Mets’ rotation for the foreseeable future. And, oh, what a future that is.
Mets owner and CEO Steve Cohen, team president Sandy Alderson, and newly hired general manager Billy Eppler had a vision in mind — leave no doubt — and have done all in their power so far this winter to make that dream a reality.
It’s nice how smoothly things operate with an Uncle Scrooge-like vault backing up operations, isn’t it?
As far as running out two of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game in Jake and Max, it almost doesn’t seem real at this point. Until we start hearing the slaps of fastballs in catchers’ mitts and the crack of rawhide on wood, maybe it won’t.
Until then, we’ll have to let our imaginations run a bit wild. Thankfully, we’ve always got some stats handy to make those daydreams a bit more lucid.
Scherzer, 37, is coming off yet another pristine season, pitching to a 2.46 ERA (2.97 FIP) with 236 strikeouts, 0.86 WHIP (best in MLB among qualified starters), 1.81 walks per nine, and 1.15 homers allowed per nine. A timeless classic if there ever was one.
So how does a veteran pitcher with over 2,500 career innings pitched continue to get the job done so efficiently? Command, baby. Buckets of command. And a sturdy game plan. Scherzer — just like any elite pitcher — is never not prepared. He knows what he’s gotta go, what he’s gonna do, and he goes out and does it.
Four-seams high and away, sliders at the shins, changeups off the plate to lefties, and he mirrors that ensemble to right-handers. The curve and cutter are mixed in to taste, and that’s that. And it works. Really, really well.
Last season, Scherzer’s four-seam garnered a .273 weighted on-base average, his slider held opposing hitters to a .188 wOBA (48.5% whiff rate), and the change was just as effective (.191 wOBA, just playing *so well* off the slider). Elite by any measure.
Toss deGrom into the equation (a healthy GOAT, we hope), and, as intimated up top, this scenario has the makings of something special. It’s rare to see one pitcher as talented as either of these guys in a rotation, let alone two.
The Dodgers likely had something like that in mind when they traded for Scherzer last July, teaming him up with Clayton Kershaw, but that plan never quite came to fruition as Kershaw continued to be hampered by an elbow issue.
Oh well, now it’s the Mets’ turn. And just to be safe, they opened up a three-year window to see this thing through.
Over the past few seasons, there haven’t been many pitchers more valuable than either deGrom or Scherzer.
Since 2018, Jake’s got the lowest ERA (1.94), the second-lowest WHIP (0.88), and the second-lowest batting average against (.187) in MLB. Scherzer’s 2.74 ERA over that span ranks third, as does his 0.98 WHIP, and his .206 BAA is good for sixth.
Over their last 100 starts combined (going back to August 2017 for deGrom and April 2018 for Scherzer), the two have pitched to a 2.49 ERA with 1,697 strikeouts, 272 walks, and 122 home runs allowed over 1,266 1/3 total innings pitched.
That’s 12.06 strikeouts, 1.93 walks, and 0.87 home runs allowed per nine innings for those keeping track. Unreal. Even more unreal? Jake gave up just 0.69 homers per nine over his last 100 starts (Scherzer, 1.05).
And these two are gonna be on the same team. Lol.
Never any paywalls. Once it leaves my head, it’s yours. If you want to pay me for my work, it’s greatly appreciated.
Become a paid subscriber below, or if you enjoyed the story, drop a buck or two in our Venmo account (@TheAppleNYM)