New York Mets name Bartolo Colon as Opening Day starter
By Ryan Ratty
The New York Mets have named Bartolo Colon as their Opening Day starter.
Last season, the Kansas City Royals were a team no one expected to make the World Series, or even make the playoffs for that matter. However, led by good pitching and excellent managing, the Royals were able to go on a huge run.
This season, one team that many have pegged to make that impressive run is the New York Mets. Like the Royals, the Mets have arguably the best pitching staff, and although Terry Collins hasn’t done much with his team yet, it’s safe to say that the Mets are headed in the right direction.
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With a pitching staff composed of Matt Harvey, Jon Niese, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, and Bartolo Colon, it’s easy to see why the Mets, thanks to their starting rotation, could win many games in the 2015 MLB season. It has been reported that the Mets have named veteran Bartolo Colon as their starter for Opening Day. However, that doesn’t entirely mean that there will be “Colon Mondays”, which is the nickname given to the No. 1 pitcher on a staff.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York was the first to report the news of Colon starting on Opening Day. Rubin also reported that Jacob deGrom will start the Mets’ first home game.
After signing a two-year deal worth $20 million last year, Colon, who will turn 42 in May, is truly an intriguing pick to start the season. General manager Sandy Alderson has said for years that this team would be a good one. It seems that 2015 is finally the year that has Mets fans truly excited. Colon didn’t pitch that bad last year, as he pitched over 200 innings with an ERA a few ticks above 4.00 and 151 strikeouts, but it’s a bit odd that neither Niese or Harvey was given the start. Niese has been on this Mets team the longest out of the group and he has Opening Day experience with the Mets.
Harvey is coming off Tommy John surgery, but he’s the best pitcher the Mets have had in nearly a decade. Collins felt that Harvey didn’t deserve the Opening Day job because he didn’t pitch last year. This just goes to show Collins’ attitude and how he views his players and their performances. Regardless, the common belief is that the Mets will be a strong team in the National League this upcoming season.
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