Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco were vital parts of the Mets’ rotation during the regular season. The team chose to keep them off the roster for the three-game series rather than put either pitcher into a new position. With elimination looming, it’ll be all hands on deck for the pitching staff tonight and (the Mets hope) in a hypothetical Game 3, as manager Buck Showalter will likely be willing to do anything to get some crucial outs.
Who is Taijuan Walker?
Taijuan Emmanuel Walker is an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the MLB. Walker was previously with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays.
We went to Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, California, and was a pitcher, shortstop, and two-sport athlete. They was colleagues with Matt Davidson, a third baseman in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, in Yucaipa.
What happened to Taijuan Walker?
This month starts the New York Mets’ Wild Card Series versus the San Diego Padres. The sequences will feature Jacob of Grom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassit as New York attempts to secure a trip to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
While the Mets’ Wild Card pitchers are set, if they advance to the NLDS, they will require another arm to add to the rotation to extend their run. Tuesday at Citi Field, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker each had one more chance to make their case for a spot in the postseason rotation.
How is the performance of Carrasco compared to Taijuan Walker?
Carrasco, 35, pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits, including a home run by Riley Adams. The 13-year-old MLB native finishes the regular season with a sub-4.00 ERA, 15 wins, and 152.0 innings pitched, his best since 2018 with Cleveland.
Carrasco had a healthy season, but the 152.0 innings wore him out as he labored to the finish line. The right-hander has a 4.88 ERA in his past seven starts, allowing 34 hits in 27.2 innings.
Carrasco is a seasoned veteran with playoff experience, having played in the World Series with the Cleveland Indians in 2016. He’ll almost certainly make the playoff team, but perhaps not in the rotation. Walker, 30, went four innings, as did Carrasco, but struck out ten batters and allowed only four hits on a damp and frigid Citi Field.
Walker has a 5.10 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 65 1/3 innings versus such opponents. When the field is reduce to clubs presently in postseason position—that is, all prospective postseason opponents assuming current standings hold through the end of the regular season—the picture changes very little: Carrasco has a 6.70 ERA, and Walker has a 5.01 ERA. [1]
What is the previous portfolio of Taijuan Walker and Carrasco?
So, beyond the data from this season, there are a few factors to consider. Both pitchers have postseason experience, albeit Walker’s is limit. He threw one inning in the 2017 NLDS for the Diamondbacks against the Dodgers, giving up four runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two.
Carrasco’s postseason resume is more extensive; he has started three playoff games in three different postseasons, all with Cleveland. Cleveland lost all three games, although Carrasco’s lone subpar effort came in the 2020 AL Wild Card game when he allowed four runs in three innings against the Yankees.
Carrasco pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Yankees in Game 3 of the 2017 ALDS. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Masahiro Tanaka was as spectacular as the Yankees. Aaron Judge denied Francisco Lindor a two-run homer to preserve a scoreless tie that the Yankees would later win.
Carrasco pitched another strong game the following year against the Astros in Game 2 of the 2018 ALDS, allowing two runs on six hits in five and a third innings while striking out three batters and walking one. On the other hand, Carrasco was out-dueled by Gerrit Cole at the pinnacle of his skills and paid the price.
Finalists for the last postseason slot in the rotation
The New York Mets will only go as far as their starting pitching allows. This club is designed to have two of the best five pitchers anchoring the rotation. It’s difficult to picture the opposition winning the Mets in a seven-game series in which Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer each pitch twice.
Who knows whether they will be healthy with how things have gone this season? DeGrom returned in August after a 13-month absence due to numerous ailments. Scherzer lost seven weeks earlier this year with an oblique injury and appeared to have re-aggravated the same side, sending him on the disabled list for the second time.
Scherzer and deGrom can be the first two games in an ideal scenario. Chris Bassitt would begin the third game. Also, The final rotation place is up in the air. Three suitable applicants are vying for one place, which is a terrific dilemma.
Why are the Mets faced with a difficult decision about their postseason rotation?
Although the outcome of the last eight regular-season games will still determine the NL East champion, the Mets have punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2016. With the squad healthy moving into October, a few choices will need to be made on the outskirts, but the postseason roster is mainly set.
However, the most crucial choice confronting the Mets as they enter the playoffs is not whether to remove a player or retain him on the roster. Still, who of Taijuan Walker or Carlos Carrasco will serve as the team’s fourth starter in the postseason rotation?
Who are the Mets’ starting pitchers?
The Mets’ rotation has a clear top three starters in Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt. When he’s healthy, there’s no doubt Jacob deGrom is the finest pitcher in baseball. Max Scherzer is also an ace with a strong track record in the postseason.
And this season, Bassitt has probably been the most constant presence in the Mets’ rotation. Things get a little murkier after that. While Tylor Megill and David Peterson have performed brilliantly in the rotation when injuries have occurred, they are being groomed for bullpen responsibilities down the line and in the playoffs.
Who will the Mets prefer for the fourth starting role between Walker and Carrasco?
Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker have had beautiful seasons and would be the number 3 or even number two starters on many other teams. Still, like most teams in the postseason, the Mets will likely only use four starting pitchers in October to achieve the full innings out of their top three pitchers.
Both pitchers have been good this season, with only one brief spell on the disabled list. Walker had shoulder bursitis in April, and Carrasco had a minor oblique injury last month, yet they pitched almost the same number of innings in 2022 with relatively equal outcomes.
Both pitchers’ earned run averages are inflated owing to a few poor starts, but Walker has a slight advantage in straight-up run prevention. However, some sophisticated measures, like FIP and DRA, favor Carrasco. Carrasco also strikes out more batters than Walker, who pitches more contact and walks at a comparable rate.
Who will the Mets Pass the Wild card round?
Walker had a fantastic season, finishing the regular season with a 3.49 ERA and 2.5 fWAR. Carrasco has pitch more innings than he has in the previous five seasons, and with every postseason game being as important as it is, Carrasco may be destined for a bullpen role in the future.
The Mets will have some time to decide. They must first go through the Wild Card round, but if they do, they will have employed at least two of the three pitchers from deGrom, Scherzer, and Bassitt. If they get it through that, they’ll need a trustworthy arm against the Dodgers, something Walker demonstrated by earning a position in the postseason rotation.
How the Mets’ starting rotation may look in the postseason?
We know that there are only three games left in the regular season; with the Mets behind the Braves by 1.5 games. The Mets are almost guarantee to face the Marlins in the Wild Card round unless they can sweep the Nationals and the Marlins beat the Braves in the next two games. The Mets’ route to the World Series is not as evident as when a division victory seemed probable. Still, with the firepower in their rotation, they can create noise in the postseason regardless of who they face.
Will Taijuan Walker be the finest choice for the game of NLDS 1?
Bassitt will be the top pick to start the first game of the NLDS if the Mets win the first two games of the Wild Card round. Taijuan Walker is the best chance to start the division series if the series goes three games.
Walker has played the Dodgers four times since joining the Mets and has given them a chance to win all four games. Taijuan Walker has a 3.80 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings in those starts. [2]
The Mets could also give deGrom the ball on four days off because the division series begins on Tuesday. They want to share their co-aces a full five days of recovery, Walker is the best option.
What are the latest predictions regarding game NLDS 2 and game 3?
The MLB postseason has arrived, and the New York Mets will face the San Diego Padres in a Wild Card matchup this weekend at Citi Field. According to SNY and The New York Post, the Mets are considering starting Chris Bassitt in Game 2 if one condition is met. Bassitt will likely pitch the series’ second game if Scherzer and the Mets win the first game.
If the Mets win, the goal is to save Jacob deGrom for Game 1 and Game 5 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. If the Mets lose the series opener, DeGrom will throw Game 2 of the Wild Card, or he will take the mound in Game 3 if required.
Another reason the Mets want deGrom to throw in the opening and last games of the NLDS is because he cannot pitch on short rest. On the other side, Scherzer might pitch in relief in a possible Game 5.
Conclusion
The New York Mets will play the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series. The three-game series will feature Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer. The Chris Bassitt as New York seeks to advance to the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While the Mets’ Wild Card pitching trio is set, if they progress to the NLDS. They will require another arm to add to the rotation for a lengthier series. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker had one more chance to make a case in the playoff rotation on Tuesday at Citi Field.
Carrasco is a veteran player with postseason experience, having played in the World Series with the then-Cleveland Indians in 2016. He will make the postseason team, albeit possibly not in the rotation. Walker, 30, lasted four innings on Tuesday, the same as Carrasco. But fared better, striking out ten and allowing only four hits at a rainy and frigid Citi Field.
FAQs
Q.1: Where do the Mets play their games?
Citi Field provides Mets supporters, New York sports lovers, and visitors to the New York metropolitan region with unmatched facilities and comfort. The open-air ballpark ties the Mets’ National League past to the future and the City through various distinctive design aspects.
Q.2: Are there three wild card clubs in Major League Baseball?
With the addition of a third wild-card club in each league and three division champions. There might be up to 12 playoff games before the division series begins.
Q.3: What are the rules of wild card games?
The wild card match is now a three-game best-of-three series host by the higher seed. The winning clubs went to the division series, facing the winners with the best league records.
References
- [The Mets have a tough decision to make.. (n.d.) ] September 26, 2022, from SB nation Link: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2022/9/26/23369853/new-york-mets-postseason-rotation-taijuan-walker-carlos-carrasco-bullpen-playoffs-mlb
- [Projecting the Mets’ Potential Playoff Rotation.. (n.d.) ] October 4, 2022, from metsmerized online Link: https://metsmerizedonline.com/projecting-the-mets-potential-playoff-rotation-through-two-rounds/
