1. New York Mets
Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets’ 2014 season was a season of waiting. Matt Harvey spent all of the 2014 season waiting for his elbow to recuperate from 2013 Tommy John surgery after a torn ligament during a stellar 2013 campaign. Noah Syndergaard, the Mets’ top rated pitching prospect, remained in the minor leagues for the 2014 season while continuing to develop into MLB-ready talent.
Now, the fall of one starter may give an early opportunity for Syndergaard to make his long-awaited Major League debut. Zack Wheeler, who posted a solid 3.54 ERA in 32 starts last season, suffered a torn UCL earlier this spring that will sideline him for the season as he recovers from TJ surgery. He officially announced his decision to undergo the season-ending surgery last week.
This will be a big blow to a rotation that Wheeler occupied a large presence on alongside 2014 NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and veteran Bartolo Colon. The return of Matt Harvey will certainly help the Mets out for the time being, but only time can tell whether or not they can compete with the seemingly omnipotent Washington Nationals and rising Miami Marlins rotation’s in a pitch-heavy NL East.
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