NY Mets: Corey Oswalt can earn himself consideration for next year’s rotation

Corey Oswalt’s future role with the New York Mets could be determined by how he pitches in 2020.

Corey Oswalt may pitch more than expected for the 2020 New York Mets. He seems to be one of the guys in line to start for the team on an emergency basis. With Noah Syndergaard already out for the year and Marcus Stroman sidelined early, he’ll have fans googling his name before the team has even played a half dozen games.

Loyal Mets fans will remember Oswalt from such performances as the 5.85 ERA in 2018 across 64.2 innings and two relief appearances in 2019 resulting in a 12.15 ERA. Those who have stuck around longer may be familiar with his 2017 campaign where he won Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Oswalt hasn’t yet earned a permanent starting role with the club. However, in whatever opportunities he has during the 2020 season, he might be able to catch the attention of the important decision-makers and add his name into the competition for 2021.

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The Mets face losing three starters this winter plus uncertainty with Syndergaard’s return from Tommy John Surgery. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the team decided to hand one or two of those rotation spots to guys on rookie contracts.

Oswalt has yet to have a breakout moment in the major leagues or showcase the same level of talent he has in the minors. He did pitch well on the farm last year, going 10-4 with a 2.82 ERA across 18 starts.

I understand this is minor league baseball, but perhaps he’s finally ready. We’ll have to wait and see how much he wants it and how exactly how far he can push himself to earn the attention of the front office.

The good news for Oswalt is that he doesn’t have a plethora of top pitching prospects competing with him. David Peterson is the most likely candidate to give him competition. The rest of the guys are a little further down the line.

The Mets did a phenomenal job at developing starting pitchers at the beginning of the last decade. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, etc. all became mainstays in the rotation for at least a few years. It has been a while since one has risen up. While Oswalt, a 7th round pick, isn’t a favorite to be “the man” he can certainly become a useful piece on the Mets roster.

Fortunately for Oswalt, there are more than the five starting spots to compete for. There’s also a bullpen with some wiggle room. Dellin Betances is signed to a one-year deal and Justin Wilson becomes a free agent.

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There are multiple ways for Oswalt to find his way onto the 2021 Mets’ Opening Day roster. It’s months away, but the competition with everyone else—especially himself—starts right now.