Zack Wheeler took the mound for what was potentially the last time as a New York Met. He cruised through seven innings, but ran into trouble in the eighth against the Miami Marlins. The result ended up being a 4-2 victory in favor of the Marlins.
The #Mets acquired Zack Wheeler in July, 2011 for Carlos Beltran. Fast forward 8 years and 2 months, and he has grown into a mature and knowledgable starting pitcher with dynamic, electric stuff. Not easy to find that. He has put it all together ahead of his free agency.
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) September 27, 2019
Overall, Wheeler was very effective allowing three runs in eight innings while striking out 10 batters for the fourth time this season. Wheeler also threw 83 strikes out of his 113 pitches, which was a season high for him. It was the eighth inning when Wheeler ran into trouble and fell victim to the home run.
New and Old Faces Strike
Tyler Heinemann got things started as his two run home run, his first of his career, tied the game in the eighth. Curtis Granderson followed with a home run to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead, which seemed to happen out of no where. Wheeler was able to finish the inning but what could be his final start as a Met, resulted in a loss.
Zack Wheeler doesn't have the answers regarding his future, but he offers some insight into what he's thinking — or not thinking — heading into free agency. pic.twitter.com/4Wxxy3p9U3
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 27, 2019
Wheeler will head into free agency in the offseason and should draw plenty of interest from multiple teams. He finished with a career high in innings pitched, strikeouts and his lowest walk rate. The Mets will certainly offer him the qualifying offer, but Wheeler has shown he is worth much more than that. The Mets should try to keep him and deGrom together for the future.
Just like last season, Wheeler has pitched significantly better during the second half. Over the last two season’s Wheeler has a 3.65 ERA which puts him in the same class as Madison Bumgarner and Shane Bieber. He has also made 60 starts over the last two seasons, proving he is a very reliable option for the Mets.