Sure, we already know the New York Mets starting staff is the best in the land, but where does each specific pitch rank within the group?
By Jeremy Fialkow
It’s no secret the reigning National League champion New York Mets have a bevy of young, talented superheroes pitchers on their roster. Flame-throwing is their hobby, strikeouts are their job.
The Metropolitan starting staff is comprised of two bonafide aces, an ace on the way, a top-prospect southpaw, the real-life Benjamin Button, and, don’t forget: yet another top-tier starter in the late stages of rehabbing Tommy John surgery.
All but one are under the age of 28 and barely scratching the surface of what could be a historic streak of dominance in the prime of their careers.
Matt Harvey, 26. Jacob deGrom, 27. Noah Syndergaard, 23. Steven Matz, 24. Bartolo Colon, 42. Zack Wheeler, 25.
Dark Knight.
DeGrominator.
Thor.
SuperMatz.
Big Sexy.
Hot Wheels. (Sorry, Zack. This one is a work in progress)
According to Baseball Savant, the Mets threw 22% of their pitches at 95 mph or above during the 2015 regular season. After them? Zero MLB teams exceeded the 15% threshold. To give you a little perspective, just five years ago, the Mets pitches at the same speed lingered around the 5% mark.
These guys are in a league of their own. It’s about time we thrust them into competition pitting them against one another.
So, one question remains: Who’s got the best ‘stuff’?
