New York Mets: Three Rick Porcello predictions for 2020

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BOSTON, MA – MAY 11: Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox is taken out of the game against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 11, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

A Short Trip to the Injured List

One of my favorite attributes Porcello has is his ability to stay healthy. Well, as we’ve seen in the recent past, plenty of players have arrived in Flushing with the same reputation only to watch from the sidelines for a significant portion of the season.

Call me a pessimist if you must. I think Porcello suffers the same fate.

It won’t be a lengthy stay on the injured list for Porcello in 2020. I’m predicting he may miss a pair of starts at some point in the middle of the season. The Mets have been cautious with pitchers and have the depth to allow Porcello to sit out and heal up.

Now past 30, Porcello’s body is bound to begin breaking down. Even as a precaution, I have a tough time imagining him going through the entire year healthy.

MLB teams are able to manipulate the IL a little easier with the 15-day list dropped down to 10. If there’s an off-day mixed in, a starting pitcher could theoretically miss only a single start.

The Mets are fortunate to have Michael Wacha with the organization. His presence should mean the team is careful with injuries to the starting pitchers. As great as the offense has become, the starting pitching is still the franchise’s bread, butter, and garlic dipping sauce.

I hope I’m wrong with this prediction because of how valuable it would be to get 180-200 innings out of Porcello even with an average performance. Brodie Van Wagenen brought him here for a variety of reasons. One of them was undoubtedly his regular availability each season.

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