New York Mets Pitching: Even when they stink, it’s better than you think

In recent years, the New York Mets pitching staff is at or near the top in several categories you may not always think to check.

My specialty is New York Mets history, but this time I am looking at recent history, sparked by something I came across in a place that has notoriously been tough on pitching: Texas. While in the Dallas area to attend a wedding, I came across Evan Grant’s piece in the courtesy of the Dallas Morning News on the consistent lack of success from the Texas Rangers pitching staff.

Enjoy what you have Mets fans. Because there really is plenty to make other teams envious.

When it comes to innings received from pitchers drafted or signed internationally since 2006, according to Grant, the Mets are No. 1. By a lot.

Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, Jeurys Familia, and on and on homegrown talent have combined for 5,015 innings since ’06. The San Francisco Giants, which kept its homegrown stars and never cut down the dimensions on its massive park, has 300 fewer innings but three more world championships in this span. The St. Louis Cardinals, with two world championships since 2006, were one inning behind the Giants.

San Francisco has 662 starts from homegrown talent in this span. The Mets are second with 574. The top AL team is the Tamp Bay Rays, the development arm of many other teams’ pitching staffs.

When it comes to overall appearances by homegrown pitchers, the Mets are third overall, behind St. Louis and Toronto.

How many homegrown Mets pitchers have reached the majors since 2006? Try 32. That is fourth overall, tied with the Yankees. (Yes, they have good scouting, too.) Only the Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Tigers had more homegrown pitchers reach the big club.

That’s four key categories and the team ranks 1, 2, 3, 4. What does it mean? It means that they are not only good at drafting pitchers but excel at keeping them, too. And keep in mind this does not even include Noah Syndergaard, who was acquired from Toronto. Maybe the Mets hold onto some of these pitchers too long, but no team gets more out of these pitchers.

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That is why I was very pleased to see the Mets go for it this year and bringing in players who can help them win now. It would be a shame for all this pitching to go to waste–or go to someone else.