Mets pitching set against the Braves, are they selling Jose Quintana short?

The New York Mets have set their rotation against the Atlanta Braves this week and not scheduled to pitch is Jose Quintana.

Quintana would have been next in line to start. However, the Mets are opting to move everyone up.

Moving Sean Manaea up was a must. Luis Severino was already going to at least get the second start but with the off-day on Monday he can pitch on regular rest to open the series. The only real debate comes down to whether it should be David Peterson or Quintana. The Mets are going with the guy having the better season, not the elite month.

Are the Mets selling Jose Quintana short by skipping him against the Braves?

Quintana has made two starts against the Braves this year. The first was in the 16-4 beating by the Mets back in April. The next was in a 4-2 loss in May. The loss was at home and included 3 home runs against Quintana.

He has been a much different pitcher of late. The Mets don’t seem to buy into it enough to give him one of these games. 

Peterson’s lone start against the Braves came in late July when he gave up 4 runs in 5 innings. It was an exact replica of what Quintana did in May against them with the difference being that he allowed fewer home runs, just one.

A lot can go into these types of decisions. Does Quintana simply need a little more rest? Do they like the matchup better with Peterson on the hill? It is a slight hint of what the Mets can plan for the playoffs. They’ll need to choose three starters for an increasingly potential NL Wild Card series. Do they trust Peterson or Quintana more then?

Peterson has lost two of his last 3 starts and the Mets took the loss in all of them—a rarity this year. He failed to get through 5 innings in the two when he was tagged for the L. In the other, a lack of run support was the cause of his downfall.

By far the biggest start of his MLB career, a successful outing against the Braves for Peterson should be a must to pass Quintana when it comes to a playoff scenario. Give me the experience and hotter arm over the guy with youth and the better overall season.

First thing’s first; beat the Braves. Any sort of playoff rotation the Mets assemble will be match-up based. We’ll cross that bridge when the Mets get there.