Friday, June 26, 2015

Mets to Promote Top Prospect Steven Matz

By Peyton Wesner

The youngest rotation with the most potential just became a whole lot better as the New York Mets will recall their top prospect in the organization and MLB.com's fifty-fourth top prospect Steven Matz to be a part of a six-man rotation with the purpose of limiting the strain and innings of the young arms pitching. 

Despite Matz, a left hander, being phenomenal since making his professional debut in 2012 with Kingsport (Rookie League), most Mets' fans feel like he should have already been in the Major Leagues with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. This is the case because of the Stony Brook, New York, native's arm injuries, which eventually resulted in him undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011. 

As mentioned, Matz has been great when on the mound in the Mets' organization as he owns a 24-20 record with a 2.28 earned run average and three hundred and eighty strike outs in three hundred and sixty-six and one/thirds innings pitched. This season, the twenty-four year old is 7-4 with a 2.19 earned run average and ninety-four strikeouts in ninety and one/thirds innings with Triple-A Las Vegas, which is very impressive considering how many good pitchers struggle in the hitter friendly ballparks of the Pacific Coast League. For example, future teammate of Matz and former top organizational prospect prior to his promotion, Noah Syndergaard was roughed up in his first season in Las Vegas (2014) and possessed an earned run average of 4.60 in twenty-six starts! 

The southpaw that has a repertoire of a mid-nineties fast ball (best pitch), a sinking change-up (second best), and a curveball was more than likely to have started the 2015 Triple-A All-Star Game in Omaha, Nebraska, against the International League considering his fantastic stats and him leading the PCL in votes at the starting pitcher position. Nonetheless, one has to think that Matz is going to treasure his Major League Debut, expected to be Sunday versus Cincinnati, more than one inning in an all-star game.


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