New York Mets 2022 Season In Review: Starting Pitching

Now that the 2022 season is over for the New York Mets, we will spend the next several weeks taking a look at the big picture. This deep dive will be broken down into phases every weekday, continuing today with a look at the Mets’ starting pitching.

It isn’t at all surprising that the New York Mets continue to be defined by their starting pitching. After injuries wrecked the group last season, the Mets got much more stable performances from their starters in 2022. Let’s go through the Mets’ top starters in 2022 and grade their individual performances.

Starting Pitchers: Season In Review

Jacob deGrom

The Mets saw deGrom miss more time with injuries after a stress reaction in his shoulder cost their ace the first four months of the season. deGrom made his debut in August and was electric down the stretch although a few late season stumbles pushed his ERA above three. The only win the Mets got in the playoffs came from deGrom, who will now be the subject of intense offseason speculation about whether he wants to come back to Queens next season.

Grade: A

Max Scherzer

Scherzer was the Mets’ big ticket free agent signing and was dominant when he was on the mound, posting a career-best 2.29 ERA while going 11-5 in his first season in Queens. That production came in just 145.1 innings pitched as Scherzer required two separate trips to the injured list for a left oblique injury that may have been bothering him down the stretch. Scherzer’s awful performance in his final regular season start and Game 1 of the Wild Card series hurts but he was still a tremendous positive for the Mets this season.

Grade: A

Chris Bassitt

Apart from one missed start after contracting COVID, Bassitt was the Mets’ most dependable starter in 2022, leading the team with 181.2 innings pitched while tying Carlos Carrasco for the team lead with 15 wins. Bassitt’s 3.42 ERA was more than respectable but he left a sour taste in the mouths of Mets’ fans after delivering stinkers in his final regular season start against Atlanta and in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. The Mets will have to decide whether to re-sign Bassitt this year or opt to try and replace his production in free agency.

Grade: A-

Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco was mostly healthy this season and delivered a solid performance for the Mets, tying for the team lead with 15 wins and being a steadying presence in the back of the rotation despite an ERA that was just under four. The Mets did end up leaving Carrasco off the postseason roster due to his struggles against contenders, which were problematic, and his poor performance after returning from an oblique injury in September. Carrasco has a team option for next season that the Mets will likely pick up to avoid creating yet another hole in their starting rotation.

Grade: B

Taijuan Walker

There were some early injury concerns for Walker but he did end up making 29 starts this season, finishing second on the team to Bassitt in both that category and innings pitched. Walker put together a strong overall season, going 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA, and will likely opt out of his contract to become a free agent. It remains to be seen whether the Mets will make a play to retain Walker or let him walk in free agency.

Grade: B

David Peterson

After a lost 2021 season, Peterson ended up spending most of the season in the Mets’ starting rotation due to various injuries to other pitchers. Peterson was a solid back-end option, going 6-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 19 starts as a starting pitcher. The Mets ended up shifting Peterson to the bullpen late in the season and he was decent in that role but there is a good chance he ends up back in the starting rotation next season depending on how the Mets allocate their resources this winter.

Grade: B

Tylor Megill

It will be an interesting answer to a trivia question that Megill ended up starting Opening Day for the Mets after injury concerns for deGrom and Scherzer. Megill was hot out of the gate and was the starting pitcher for the Mets’ combined no-hitter, but a pair of injuries cost him most of the season after May 11. The Mets converted Megill into a reliever after his return from the injured list in September but the results weren’t great although his numbers as a starter (4-2, 5.01 ERA in nine starts) were inflated by three rough outings.

Grade: C+

Trevor Williams

The only other pitcher to get more than one start this season was Williams, who did an excellent job as the Mets’ swingman. Williams started nine games for the Mets and went 2-4 with a 4.19 ERA in that role, but he was far more effective out of the bullpen, working to a 2.47 ERA as a reliever who did everything from long relief to picking up key outs in the late innings. The Mets would like to bring Williams back for next season but he may be more inclined to look for an opportunity where he has more of a shot to be a traditional starter.

Grade: B

Check back tomorrow as our Season In Review series looks at the New York Mets’ bullpen!