Mets Notes: Who’s In, Who’s Out of the Rotation to Start Opening Day

José Quintana

Last week, Mendoza announced José Quintana as the squad’s Opening Day starter. The assignment likely would have gone to Kodai Senga, but the righty will miss the first several weeks of the season (more on him later). Mendoza painted Quintana as an easy choice due to his veteran status and important presence in the clubhouse. While the 35-year-old is past his prime, he should provide quality innings to stabilize a possibly volatile staff.

Luis Severino

Luis Severino arguably possesses the most upside among Mets starters, including Senga. He will begin the year as the team’s No. 2 starter hoping to rebound after an awful 2023 campaign. The 30-year-old’s great spring has given fans hope that he could return to his ace status this year. If so, having a legitimate ace atop the Mets’ starting rotation will go a long way in boosting the team’s postseason potential. However, more health and pitch-tipping issues could seriously doom the Mets’ playoff chances.

Sean Manaea

The third starter role will go to Sean Manaea. The lefty has been pretty inconsistent over the past couple years but pitched well down the stretch in 2023 with the San Francisco Giants. He produced great results with a new sweeper last year and worked with Driveline this offseason to improve his velocity and repertoire.

Manaea is a former first-round pick that has had solid seasons in the past. The main question is whether the Mets’ new pitching lab can help Manaea maintain the adjustments he made last season and this winter. If the Mets can help him find more consistency, he can be one of the best mid-rotation starters in the game.

Adrian Houser

A third offseason acquisition, Adrian Houser, will slot into the fourth starter role. Houser has uncharacteristically picked up a ton of strikeouts this spring but mainly relies on ground balls and weak contact to induce outs. He has dealt with injuries in recent years, and some evaluators feel that a multi-inning reliever role fits him best.

However, Stearns knows Houser well from their Milwaukee days. Houser will likely receive a decent chance at establishing himself as a back-end starter this season. The Mets expect the upcoming free agent to provide quality innings that allow younger prospects to further develop in the upper-minors.

Tylor Megill

Tylor Megill enters another season as an intriguing depth option for the Mets. At some point, he will run out of opportunities, but he seems primed to make this one count. Mendoza officially announced Megill as the team’s fifth starter to begin the season, and the righty earned it.

Megill has impressed with improved command, an effective splitter, and increased velocity this spring. He has shown consistency and a feel for his new pitches while effectively getting hitters out. The 28-year-old has shown flashes of success in the past, but the Mets need better health and consistency from him. This is his final pre-arbitration year, and likely his last real chance to cement his spot in the Mets’ rotation.

Kodai Senga Health Update

The Mets announced in late February that Senga would miss the start of the season due to a shoulder injury. While the organization has remained positive regarding his outlook, Senga’s return to throwing has been delayed a couple of times already. The Mets refuse to call it a setback… but that’s pretty much what it is, even if minor.

However, Mendoza revealed positive news to reporters regarding Senga’s status. On Thursday, the manager announced that Senga received an MRI on Tuesday and that the team viewed the results as encouraging. As a result, Senga will undergo further internal testing which could allow him to start throwing catch within a week.

Even if Senga starts throwing soon, he told reporters that he doesn’t know how long he will need to get ready to join the team. The Mets have enough depth to cover Senga’s absence but might be in trouble if another pitcher goes down. A mid-season return for Senga could give the Mets’ starting rotation a high-upside arm to push the team into a playoff berth.

Christian Scott Receives National Attention

Christian Scott has made a name for himself in the Mets community within the past year. With a great 2023 campaign, Scott might have distanced himself in the eyes of many stakeholders from other pitching prospects in the organization. While he has yet to pitch in Triple-A, Mets fans and personnel predict him as the first youngster to make his debut this season.

Well, Scott’s profile might be starting to reach a national audience. MLB Network broadcasted Scott’s start against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, and many were impressed by his outing. The righty’s fastball featured a good ride while reaching the upper nineties. He also dazzled with a hard slider and a looping sweeper.

According to The Athletic, Nick Gordon of the Marlins told teammates that Scott had a bright, Cy Young-caliber future.

Additionally, John Harper of SNY revealed that a scout also came away incredibly impressed by Scott’s outing.

“He’s a fast riser. Command guy whose stuff has jumped to another level over the last year. Sweeper reminded me of Jose Fernandez. Could see him developing into a front-end starter.”

Scott excelled at limiting walks last year, but Triple-A features an Automated Strike Zone that many pitchers struggled with last season. Scott might have to adapt to this, but should make his debut in 2024.

Mets Starting Rotation Outlook Seems Positive

New York’s pitching staff has been one of the best this spring. Plus, the organization hasn’t featured pitching depth of such quantity and quality in many years. It remains to be seen how the group performs once results start to matter. But for now, there’s no harm in feeling good about the potential of the Mets starting rotation.