Everyone pretty much agrees our starting pitching has the potential to be a force to be reckoned with for the exception of Gee but if our fifth starter can somehow some way post a sub 4.00 era we will have an outside shot of getting wild card.

No

After Johan, Gee more than others, knows how to pitch. His stuff isn't great, but craftiness and control goes a long way in being a successful pitcher. I also expect his stamina,especially in his arm, to be much improved. That was a problem for him in the past.

Everyone pretty much agrees our starting pitching has the potential to be a force to be reckoned with for the exception of Gee >>>>

for 2013? has equal potential to not be that good. would be better if 3 other division teams also didnt have same or better potential.

True but if Santana and Marcum are healthy and put up typical numbers, and Niese gives us a Niese type of year or a little better, and if Harvey can continue his dominance as well as gee being better than serviceable we are in great shape. In fact I don't know many teams that fail to make the playoffs with good to great hurlers 1-5. Ofcourse our bullpen is going to have to deliver this year

Gee is fine as a fifth starter, but you're asking an awful lot. He's never posted a sub 4.00 ERA in a full season in either AAA or the major leagues. His stuff just isn't good enough to expect that.

I think Dillon Gee is a hole where our ace should be.

Last 2 seasons, we lost about 75 games after leading in the 7th.

A better BP WOULD have been a HUGE difference in what we're talking about today.

I understand this is very unlikely but you know every dog has its day 1 this case season

Anthony is right, if Santana and Marcum are healthy and the staff put up great numbers as a whole, the BP will still need to get 9 outs almost every game. That is too much for any BP, even a good one. Gee is good, but only for 5 innings, that doesnt really help.

If all of our starters put up sub 2 ERAs, we'll make the playoffs.

See, I can play the "what if" game also.

Gee is just about an adequate 5th starter, presuming health. That's it.

dude,love the optimism. i can see us battling the phils for third but noway we are getting past the braves and nats.

what game are you playing? Gee posting a sub 4 ERA is a lot more likely than what you're suggesting. Exaggerate much?

" noway we are getting past the braves and nats"

Never said we were..just saying if all things go right we can have an outside shot at hitting the second wild card..that's about as modest an expectation a fan can have right

Yep, agreed on the starters/pen usage. Someone else just posted "Where's Darren Oliver when you need him?"

Actually, Gee's arm stamina worries me coming off surgery to it. Minor surgery is only minor to the doctors. See John Maine.

The reports say that no major muscles were involved in the surgery and he was allowed to start throwing very soon. Gee has already reported that his arm feels great and he can't wait to start ST.

So not as big of a deal as some are making it out to be.

Expecting Gee to deliver at least what he did in 2011:

13 -6
4.43 ERA (probably better in 2013)
160+ IP

If he does at least that it adds another 7 wins to his 2012 wins total (was 6 -7 in 2012).

Mets rotation would have to make up less to compensate for Dickey's 20 wins & Young's 4 wins now that they're gone (Young's 2012 record was 4 -9). So Mets rotation would be lacking those 24 wins that Marcum & Harvey would have to make up to equal last yr's rotation total wins. Harvey had 3 wins in his short 2012 season (3 -5). So between Harvey & Marcum they'd have to win at least 27 gms to make up for lost wins of Dickey & Young.

Could Harvey have 15 wins in full season? Could be. If so then Marcum just has to get 12 wins to equal last yr's rotation win total. Or 1 of them can have 13 wins & the other 14 wins.

OR Santana could get a few more wins than 2012. Santana only pitched for 1/2 season & had 11 wins. His last 5 starts had 15.43 ERA. If he can stay healthy & win at least even 2 or 3 more gms then that's 2 or 3 wins less that Marcum & Harvey have to make up for.

Same thing for Niese. Jon Niese went 13 - 9 in 2012. If he can win 2 or 3 more gms that's 2 or 3 less Marcum & Harvey have to make up for Dickey & Young being gone.

And none of this is taking into account Wheeler who'll be up at some point.

Mets bullpen had TWENTY-NINE LOSSES in 2012. That's AWFUL!! Brewers BP w/ 33 BP losses, Astros BP w/ 31 losses & Rockies BP w/30 losses were the only pens that were worse than Mets. Tells you everything you need to know! If Mets can cut that by 1/3 that's 10 more wins right there. Means even less wins Mets starting rotation has to make up for w/ Dickey & Young being gone. With Batista (1 BP loss)/ Acosta (3 BP losses)/ R. Ramirez (4 BP losses) gone I'll go out on a limb & say they should be able to cut BP losses by around 1/3.

So long story short -- IMO Mets pitching can actually be BETTER than 2012 even though Cy Young winner's not on the team anymore. Could easily put Mets over .500 if not be in playoff hunt.



And I expect Gee to be very good in 2013. Especially because he won't be pitching w/ a numb arm.

they dont

the phillies rotation is on the way down...lee and halladay are not nearly what they once were

im also not exactly sold that the braves have a better rotation either....medlen has never made 32 starts in the majors, hudson wasnt his lights out self last year, & maholm isnt much to write home about