The starting rotation is already fragile with the New York Mets recently losing two starting pitchers, Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill. The hope with Frankie Montas currently in Triple-A Syracuse is that he can be a positive reinforcement once he is fully stretched out, but so far, that has not been the case.
Montas has yet to debut in a Mets uniform, but he's close to returning. Unfortunately, his numbers in Triple-A are so bad that you'd rather leave him there than come up and throw gas on the fire for a team that has seen its lead in the NL East slip away. Montas has made four starts in Syracuse alone and owns an abysmal 13.19 ERA in just 14.1 innings pitched. Given the state of the starting rotation, Montas' inefficiency has put the Mets in a bad spot.
David Peterson and Clay Holmes have mostly been solid all season, but losing Senga and Megill were critical blows. Griffin Canning had looked fantastic until recently, but is showing signs of slipping, with 10 earned runs in his last 9.2 innings. Paul Blackburn has made two starts now, but owns a 6.92 ERA on the season, so Montas' lack of production puts the team in a spot that could see them go from bad to worse.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the Discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Mets hoping rotation can stabilize before the trade deadline
Once Senga and Megill return, the Mets will be in a much better place. However, there is still a chance they can look to add another starter for depth at the deadline. I am not banking on a Mets blockbuster regarding starting pitching, as their farm system has just begun to bear its fruit, but a middle-of-the-rotation type of arm, such as Tyler Anderson, may be perfect for this team.
Injuries can never be considered fortuitous, but in this case, the Mets are at least lucky to be banged up before the deadline. If this happened with Senga and Megill after the start of August, there would be no fix. At least now, the team can realize it could use more efficient depth. Blackburn and Montas are not somebody you want to bank on being part of the postseason rotation if you can avoid it.
The Mets have now dropped six straight games and are tied in the NL East with the Philadelphia Phillies. This weekend, we will have the battle for the division as the Mets and Phillies open a three-game set in Philly. The Mets' pitching staff has seen its worst stretch over the last week, giving up 41 runs in the past six games. They will need to quickly turn it around before they fall behind going into the trade deadline.