What the Mets rotation should look like to begin the 2023 season

As long as everyone is healthy, we know the five men who should make up the New York Mets starting rotation for the 2023 season. The team has two future Hall of Famers, a pair of veterans, and a rookie with a ton of experience overseas.

Exactly how should Buck Showalter line up the rotation to begin the 2023 season?

What the Mets rotation should look like to start the year

We can flip a coin to decide whether Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer starts on Opening Day. One part of me would like to see it be Verlander so we can get the Cy Young matchup between him and Sandy Alcantara. I do think this is what would happen. There is nothing to lose. Scherzer has started enough times on Opening Day in the past to not really care about letting Verlander take the hill.

Starter 1: Justin Verlander

Starter 2: Max Scherzer

It’s after those two when the Mets will need to think about things a little harder. The next three all have a case to start third, fourth, or fifth. For me, I’d go to Jose Quintana.

Following the power of Verlander and Scherzer, it might be nice to mix things up with the lone lefty in the rotation. He’d give hitters a different look. Maybe he catches a few off-balance.

The more important reason has to do with the guy pitching fourth in the rotation. Coming from a league where he pitched once a week, the early part of the schedule can allow him to take the field on a more similar timeline.

Starter 3: Jose Quintana

If you’ve figured it out already, our fourth starter is Kodai Senga. The Mets have scheduled off-days on April 7, April 13, and April 24 in the first month. Senga’s second and third starts of the season would give him an extra day of rest compared to what he may need to endure later on in the season.

As the fourth starter, Senga would pitch on April 2, April 8, April 14, and April 19 when he’d finally go on a “normal” MLB starter’s schedule. The Mets can see what he can offer them at this point or push him back a day and give someone else a try. Here’s looking at you Tylor Megill and David Peterson.

Starter 4: Kodai Senga

Finally, there’s Carlos Carrasco to finish things off. Could he be the best fifth starter in baseball? His performance in 2022 builds an early case for the possibility. To at least start the season, he’s the best option they have. It’s a good one, too. Although fifth in the rotation, we’ll expect him to be a bit better than most guys in his role.

Starter 5: Carlos Carrasco