Ranking 4 candidates to replace Adrian Houser in the rotation if his struggles continue

Adrian Houser has been one of the worst players on the New York Mets this season. It hasn’t been the result of bad luck, poor support, or any other excuse. When you walk more batters than you strike out, you’re the problem.

Fans are already prepared to move on from Houser in any capacity they can. The likeliest outcome is for him to first be replaced in the starting rotation. It looks like he’ll get at least one more opportunity to start for the Mets, especially with their lack of scheduled off-days coming up.

However, the Mets need to be proactive at making a change in the rotation if they want to avoid the spot in the rotation becoming an automatic loss. Armed with several options, this is how they rank in terms of the likeliness we see them.

4) The Seductive Prospect: Christian Scott

In last place of the four is Christian Scott. It’s nothing personal against him. In fact, this is the choice just about every Mets fan would pick. It’s not practical, though. Scott isn’t a member of the 40-man roster and with so many other more experienced starting pitcher choices for the team to summon first, Scott is more of a later season option.

Scott has made 5 starts for Syracuse and come away with a 3-0 record and 3.20 ERA. In those 25.1 innings of work, he has most notably struck out 36 batters. The WHIP is fantastic at 0.71 and the walk rate is at a very acceptable 2.1 per 9. The only negative is he has already surrendered 6 home runs. The concern here is that when he jumps to the big leagues the 2.5 per 9 rate of home runs allowed could explode.

Scott will have his place with the Mets at some point this season. Later on, even if others are healthy, he can differentiate himself. A spot start for Scott in the major leagues this year doesn’t feel all too necessary when he has some things to work on in the minor leagues anyway. Perhaps if the Mets get to the point where they are done with Houser completely, Scott could be someone to replace him in more than the rotation. Cutting Houser from the roster would be the move that gets him there.

2) The Question Mark: Joey Lucchesi

Unbelievably, Joey Lucchesi has only about 50 more MLB innings than Peterson does at this point. Missing all of 2022 and pitching only sparingly since coming to the Mets will do that. As well as we know his name and think we’ve grown familiar, Lucchesi has mustered just 85 innings with New York. He had 299.1 with the San Diego Padres.

Lucchesi remains a bit of a question mark. He successfully rattled off 9 starts with the team last season, finishing 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA. A poor strikeout rate and a somewhat high walk total in those limited opportunities never gave him much of a chance to prove himself this spring. He got knocked around in his audition and has been in the minors ever since.

This year’s numbers with Syracuse are good, but not great or overpowering. At 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA after 5 starts, we can see his continued success at preventing runs. However, with just a strikeout rate of 6.9 per 9 innings and a walk total of 4.5 per 9, Lucchesi looks potentially disastrous one level up.

The best argument for Lucchesi over these other guys is experience. He has also been fully stretched out and healthy this year. It’s like dropping Rambo behind enemy lines to rescue someone. This Rambo, however, only has a couple of sharp forks to defend himself. Lucchesi feels like more of a temporary option if he was to ever replace Houser in the rotation.

1) The Practical Choice: Tylor Megill

Tylor Megill is someone who the Mets will keep around beyond 2024 if for no other reason to use him the way they’ve used Peterson and Lucchesi in the past. Both of them will have their final minor league option utilized this year—Lucchesi’s already being executed in the preseason.

Megill, with one remaining after this season, is a far more important pitcher to learn about. The Mets already showed some faith in him by choosing the right-hander out of camp to replace Kodai Senga. It would make a lot of sense for him, after his rehab is over, to immediately go back to the Mets. It becomes even more likely if Jose Butto can pitch well.

Butto was the one who replaced Megill on the MLB roster when he went to the IL. So far, Butto has been impressive with some bumps along the way. The safe choice is to send Butto back down and we shouldn’t put it past the Mets to do exactly this.

It doesn’t make much sense for Megill to go back to the minor leagues. You can justify Butto because he began his year there. With Megill, who pitched well but not great in his one start of the season, it’s tough to hold him back when someone like Houser has been so bad.

Megill’s return will give the Mets the perfect excuse to move Houser out of the rotation and into the bullpen. Already making rehab starts on the same day as Houser is pitching, it seems perfectly aligned.

As deathly sick of Houser as we are, the hope should be for a turnaround. He’s currently scheduled to start on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs and once again the following Tuesday versus the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. A lack of Mets off-days should have them turning to a sixth starter at some point so Houser’s time in the rotation is likely to continue at least two more times through. Meanwhile, someone should get an audition and maybe force the club to demote him to a relief role.