Ranking the Mets starting pitcher depth chart behind the starting 5

With the New York Mets adding Luis Severino, Adrian Houser, and Sean Manaea to a rotation that already consisted of Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana, they essentially have completed their 2024 Opening Day rotation.

A surprise move can happen if the price is right, and injuries always happen, but assuming no shenanigans are involved, the rotation will consist of those five players. It's a rotation that has a clear ace in Senga, some upside with pitchers like Severino and Manaea, and consistent arms like Quintana and Houser. The ceiling isn't particularly high, but the floor with four of the five starters should be decent enough.

A big issue the Mets have had in recent years is pitching depth, or lack thereof. The Mets build rotations capable of competing, but fall short when it comes to depth. Fortunately this offseason, it appears that the Mets have quite a bit of starting pitching depth with four decent options behind the starting five. This is how those four starters should be ranked.

4) Jose Butto

Jose Butto got his first extended action in the Mets rotation and wound up making the most of it, forcing himself into the conversation to see more MLB time in 2024 either as a starter or as a reliever.

Butto made four appearances through the first five months of the season but in September, with the team looking practically unrecognizable, Butto found himself inserted into the regular rotation as one of the six Mets starters. He made five starts in September, pitching really well in four of them and undoubtedly opening some eyes.

The right-hander posted a 3.29 ERA in those five starts and allowed two runs or fewer in five or more innings in four of them. Butto pitched really well against playoff teams like the Diamondbacks, Marlins and Phillies. He wound up posting a very respectable 3.64 ERA in his nine MLB appearances (seven starts) this past season, proving that he can indeed get MLB hitters out.

Butto's lack of a sample size has him at the bottom of the depth chart rankings, but he can easily make his way up if he continues to pitch well in his next opportunity. Knowing the Mets, that opportunity might come sooner than later.