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2 early slumpers we should be concerned about, 1 who will figure it out
By Tim Boyle
NY Mets fans should be concerned about the early slump from Max Scherzer
Should we believe Max Scherzer will pitch to a 6.35 ERA this year? Not at all. He’s going to settle in. However, after two starts, there are more alarming factors which should have Mets fans concerned.
The home run barrage against Scherzer in the second game was astonishing. Was he tipping pitches or just not locked in? Has his stuff softened?
Beyond the obvious ERA, Scherzer has been ineffective at getting hitters out via strikeout and he’s walking them too much. A rate of 3.2 walks per 9 is high for him. The 6.4 strikeouts per 9 is more troublesome. Plenty of very good pitchers get through the first few weeks of the year getting hammered but with strikeouts piling up.
Scherzer had the complete opposite kind of conclusion for the Mets last year. His poor performance against the Atlanta Braves in the final days of the regular season and the loss in the playoffs left fans wondering if he lost a step in the offseason. Two starts isn’t enough to completely write him off. It may be enough for us to realize maybe he isn’t going to have another brilliant year.
Scherzer has been tagged for the long ball regularly in his career. Back in 2016, he led the league with 31 allowed. He still managed to win the Cy Young.