New York Mets: Zack Wheeler Should Be The Fifth Starter This Season

New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler has missed the last two seasons due to his recovery following Tommy John surgery. Now that he is finally healthy again, there is uncertainty regarding what his role with the team will be this year.

It has certainly been a frustrating past few years for New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler. After being sidelined for two seasons, he is now determined to make the Mets 2017 starting rotation.

Wheeler, 26, has not made a regular-season start for the Mets since September 25, 2014. He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow during spring training prior to the 2015 season. The injury required him to undergo Tommy John surgery. After having successful surgery, Wheeler was projected to be ready to return sometime in the middle of 2016.

However, he was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right arm after making a rehab start in August. The Mets decided to shut Wheeler down for the rest of the season in order to avoid risking further damage to his arm.

When he was first called up in 2013, Wheeler was touted as one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects. The hard-throwing right-hander made 17 starts that season, going 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA. Mets fans got to see a lot more of him the following year.

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Matt Harvey missed the entire 2014 season because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, so Wheeler basically assumed the role of the team’s ace. His numbers were not overly impressive, as he went 11-11 with an ERA of 3.54. However, Wheeler did record 187 strikeouts in 185.1 innings pitched.

Earlier in the week, Wheeler made it clear that he feels as though he should be used as a starter this season. He told the New York Post that he belongs in the starting rotation. It makes sense that Wheeler does not want to pitch out of the bullpen. He has been a starter his whole life. Some pitchers are not able to adjust to a bullpen role when they have always been a starter.

The Mets need to realize that it makes the most sense to utilize Wheeler as a starting pitcher. Obviously, there are questions about how effective he will be this season after missing the past two years. It may be difficult for him to get used to pitching every five days again. This does not mean that the Mets should keep him out of the rotation, though. The only way he is going to readjust to being a starter is by being out there every fifth day. If he is really struggling, then the Mets can make the decision to move him to the bullpen.

As of right now, Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard are all projected to be in the starting rotation come Opening Day. Harvey, deGrom, and Matz were forced to miss significant time during the 2016 season due to injuries. All three pitchers ended the season on the disabled list. If everyone can remain healthy, the Mets have a chance to have a great starting rotation in 2017.

The Mets desperately need to keep arms healthy, because their rotation after the top 7 gets real murky, real fast. Gilmartin, Montero, etc.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 10, 2017

Wheeler is not going to just be handed a starting spot in the Mets rotation. He is going to have to earn it in spring training. Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman will most likely be his biggest competition for the fifth starting spot in the rotation. Lugo and Gsellman were both impressive last season when they were tasked with filling the holes in the rotation left by injuries.

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Mets general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins will ultimately decide what Wheeler’s role will be for the 2017 season. If he performs well enough in spring training, there is a good chance that he finds his way back into the starting rotation.

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