Mets starting rotation from the mid-2010s could have been special

Mets have hope for starters

Bye bye Bartolo

Following the 2016 season, the Mets let Bartolo Colon walk. He found his way to the Atlanta Braves, although Colon’s days as an innings-eater were behind him. With him gone, it paved way for a healthy Zack Wheeler to re-enter the starting rotation.

Injury bug remains

The injury bug followed the Mets to 2017, as Syndergaard and Matz would combine to start just 20 games. deGrom and Wheeler had the worst seasons of their careers. And the final dagger – Harvey was a completely different pitcher, being a shell of his dark knight self on the mound.

The clock begins

Following the failure of the 2017 season, the clock came into sight as to how much longer the Mets would have their high-ceiling rotation. Shortly into the 2018 season, Harvey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, as the dark knight had officially fallen.

That season, injuries and poor production on offense and out of the bullpen wasted a year which Mets fans saw the potential of the rotation. deGrom won his first Cy Young in one of the most dominant seasons in history, while Syndergaard and Wheeler were great in their own right. Even the inconsistent Matz would finish with a sub-4.00 earned run average in 30 starts.

Nevertheless, a lineup where Asdrubal Cabrera and a young Michael Conforto are the biggest threats was never going to do the starters justice. Thus, it all came down to 2019…