2 Mets who playing above their contract value, 2 who still need to earn their money

Max Scherzer has work to do to play up to his contract for the NY Mets

The highest salary on the Mets, Max Scherzer signed with the team in 2022 and was instantly one of the biggest free agent splashes the team has ever made. Now in the last year of his deal, Scherzer is making just above $43 million, making him and teammate Justin Verlander the two highest paid players in the sport.

Scherzer has not been a bad pitcher this season by any stretch of the imagination. He pitched five scoreless innings against an impressive San Diego Padres lineup, and his velocity is almost the same as last season.

However, when you make more money playing baseball than anybody on the planet, fans expect to see better than a 4.41 ERA. Scherzer has had trouble with his command, going deep into counts frequently. Despite throwing above 90 pitches in every appearance, Scherzer has yet to take a start into the sixth inning.

"Mad Max" has been good for the Mets this season, but for a man making almost as much as the Oakland A's, fans have come to expect more than just good. With news of Scherzer pushing back a start due to back soreness, his 2023 hasn't gotten off to the start that anybody in the organization could have envisioned. Between his slow start and Verlander's lack of a start in general, the Mets top two pitchers have to perform if they want to live up to their massive $43 million contracts.