The New York Mets start September strong by taking six out of eight games and welcome in the Miami Marlins for a four game series. The Mets strong starting pitching has allowed them to have such a successful last couple of weeks. The Marlins have been out of contention almost from the beginning of the season because of the depletion of their roster in the offseason. The Mets have the upper hand in the season series taking seven of the 12 games.
Probable Pitching Matchups
(9/11, 7:10 PM) Jose Urena (5-12, 4.41 ERA) vs. Jacob deGrom (8-8, 1.68 ERA)
(9/12, 4:10 PM) Jeff Brigham (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (10-7, 3.39 ERA)
(9/12, Right After Game 1) Trevor Richards (3-8, 4.73 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas (5-9, 6.75 ERA)
(9/13, 7:10 PM) Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. TBD
Will Wins Cost deGrom a Cy Young?
Jacob deGrom is making one of his last few starts in his push toward the Cy Young award. In his last start he broke the major league record by having a 25th consecutive start of allowing three runs of less. With the wins stat completely outdated deGrom should be the easy choice for the Cy Young, but baseball writers will always have medieval thinking which might hurt deGrom in the voting process.
The youth movement the Mets have had over the last couple of weeks has led to their better play. Amed Rosario, Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith are just three of the recent hitters to lead the Mets. Rosario and Smith have renewed, but opposite approaches at the plate. Rosario has shown more patience and Smith has been more aggressive in his recent call-up to the big leagues. McNeil has produced one of the highest contact rates since his debut and has hit .340.
Long Season Almost Over For the Marlins
The Marlins have not had a month over .500 this season and likely will not get over that hump in September. Their roster currently consists of prospects, below average players and a few solid everyday players. J.T. Realmuto is undoubtedly the best player on the roster and will likely be a piece Derek Jeter and the Marlins front office will build around. He has hit .287 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs which are both career highs.
Starlin Castro has been one of the most consistent players over this decade and his continued his success this season. Castro has recorded 30 doubles for the first time since 2014 and will couple that with a .288 average. The rise in doubles is likely due to the move from the bandbox that was Yankee Stadium to the spacious Marlins Park. Castro has remained on the top of his game even with the drop off in talent level around him.
Matchups to Lookout For
Derek Dietrich vs. Jacob deGrom: 5-23 (.217) Walk, 12 Strikeouts
J.T. Realmuto vs. Jacob deGrom: 3-19 (.158) 6 Strikeouts
Jose Reyes vs. Jose Urena: 6-18 (.333) Double, Triple, Strikeout
Jay Bruce vs. Jose Urena: 5-15 (.333) Double, 2 Home Runs, Walk, 3 Strikeouts
Interesting Stats
Zack Wheeler in the Second Half of 2018: 7-1, 1.50 ERA, 60 Innings Pitched, 39 Hits, 10 Earned Runs, 12 Walks, 62 Strikeouts
J.T. Realmuto when swinging at the first pitch in 2018: 21-47 (.447) 10 Doubles, Triples, 3 Home Runs