The New York Mets are beginning to fall out of contention and their expiring contracts will be up for sale. This pitcher is the most tantalizing of the bunch.
Zack Wheeler is currently a member of the New York Mets rotation and his 2019 would reflect a very inconsistent pitcher. However, that is not truly the case and teams in need of pitching understand that.
Wheeler currently owns a 4.87 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 88.2 innings and has amassed 99 strikeouts. These numbers are very elevated due to a lack of ability- on Wheeler’s part- to pitch well against the Washington Nationals. He has had one solid start and three nearly disastrous outings against them. Having removed those starts his ERA could very well be below the 4.00 threshold.
His ERA is also very inflated due to the stunning amount of home runs that he has surrendered. His current mark of 13 home runs given up in 88.2 innings of 2019 has nearly caught his previous mark of 14 in 182.1 innings of 2018. It has been well noted that home runs are up all around the league and Wheeler is simply just another casualty of that.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
His blazing speed is working against him in this regard, as 98-100 mph fastballs can leave the park more easily when contact is made. A soft tosser would be much less likely to surrender as many home runs, except when missing locations.
Of course, Wheeler has his signature velocity, yet his exceptional spin rate allows his fastball to appear as if it is rising. This is a very similar phenomenon to that of Jacob deGrom‘s fastball- the very reason why it eludes many batters. On the contrary, Noah Syndergaard has a very straight fastball that remains flat due to the lack of spin rate.
The belief around the league is that pitchers will simply have higher ERA’s due to the rapid pace in which balls are leaving the park. His 4.87 ERA does not indicate the same thing it did five or so seasons ago.
One of the main destinations for Wheeler could be to stay in New York, just moving to the Bronx. The Yankees are in need of starting pitching and Wheeler is the type of starter that can be a very valuable asset with postseason play in mind. The easy velocity and spin rate of Wheeler are one major check mark in his favor. However, his splitter/changeup is a great secondary pitch that can be of great use in changing speeds.
He also has a propensity to pitch deep into games, as a great majority of his starts this season have seen him complete or at least enter the seventh inning. Therefore, he is a pitcher with good velocity, good spin rate, the ability to work deep into games, and may come cheaper than he should due to an expiring contract.
Teams such as the Yankees or Astros, as well as others in need of pitching, should pursue him, as the New York Mets begin to fall out of the race.