Mets Starting Rotation Could Be As Good as Braves of the ’90s

The National League East looks to be one of the closest races in the majors the second half of the season. Currently the Washington Nationals are on top by 2 ½ games over the second place New York Mets.

However, with the strong pitching rotation the Mets possess they could move up and over take the Nationals during the course of the second half of the season.

John Smoltz is going to be inducted on July 26 into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a year after former teammates with the Atlanta Braves Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were also enshrined. The three pitchers led what is considered by most to be one of the best starting rotations in the history of baseball. However, Smoltz seems to believe the current rotation on the New York Mets is even better.

Smoltz in a recent interview, said the Mets rotation was far better, with more talent that the Braves rotation ever had.

This year’s rotation for the Mets includes standouts Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard, for the young arms, while the veterans include Jonathan Niese and Bartolo Colon. Zack Wheeler is scheduled to return next year after rehab for his Tommy John surgery.

Glavine, Maddux and Smoltz combined for seven Cy Young awards, with Smoltz winning one, Maddux winning four and Glavine earning two.

All of the Cy Young awards with the exception of Maddux’s in 1992 with the Chicago Cubs came while the three played for Atlanta.

Harvey is 26 and deGrom is 27 with both playing in an All-Star Game, while Syndergaard is 22 and Matz just 24.

Smoltz did say that one thing could hold the group with the Mets back and that is how today’s pitchers are handled.

He believes injuries and paychecks will also have something to do with how this rotation works out. An unknown factor is if all four of the top pitchers perform well, how many can the Mets afford down the line and how many will stay healthy. Smoltz said he and his teammates worked exceptionally hard and missed very few turns in the rotation through the years.

Smoltz believes players are expected to give results far too quickly today than before as expectations are put on the potential of the players making them have huge amounts of pressure from the start.

He hopes that this group with the Mets can stay healthy and stay together then baseball fans will get to see possibly the best pitching rotation in baseball since the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s.