Dream Mets starting rotation for the 2023 season

The New York Mets had what felt like a dream rotation in 2022. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer were seen as two of the top five pitchers in the game by virtually everybody. Chris Bassitt was a great third starter to have and with Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco rounding things out with David Peterson and Tylor Megill as depth pieces, the Mets looked like they were in great shape.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. deGrom and Scherzer both missed substantial time with injury and faltered down the stretch. Bassitt was the only starter to make 30 starts.

The Mets have another chance to build a dream rotation. With Scherzer and Carrasco as the only guaranteed starters, the Mets have a lot of room to build what we hope will be the best rotation in baseball.

Dream NY Mets starting rotation ace: Jacob deGrom

In my dream rotation, Jacob deGrom returns to Flushing on a very large contract. The Mets have an owner who can afford it, and with the other good options on the market coming with various risks, deGrom makes the most sense.

When healthy, he's the best pitcher on the planet. The problem is, he's made 26 starts combined in his last two seasons. However, deGrom ended 2022 healthy and looked good in his postseason start.

Carlos Rodon and Justin Verlander are the only pitchers who come close to deGrom's level who are available in free agency right now. Rodon has one 30-start season in his career and Verlander will be 40 on Opening Day and just missed two seasons before this one after getting Tommy John Surgery.

deGrom should be a career Met and I hope Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler agree. Hopefully, he is the one to take the ball on Opening Day in Miami.