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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – The New York Mets may bring up top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to start one of the games of a doubleheader at Atlanta on June 18.
“This probably has some accuracy,” general manager Sandy Alderson told WFAN radio on Monday when asked about the date.
Alderson hinted at the likelihood of calling up Wheeler while on air with WFAN’s Mike Francesa, and spoke about it later during a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
“It’s a possibility,” Alderson told the AP. “Quite possible.”
A 23-year-old right-hander, Wheeler was selected by San Francisco with the sixth overall pick of the 2009 amateur draft and was obtained by the Mets two years ago in the trade that sent All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran to the Giants.
“Overall, I feel like I’m ready,” Wheeler said Monday, according to the New York Post.
Wheeler, whose fastball is in the upper 90s mph, is 4-1 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 starts with 66 strikeouts in 63 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas. By delaying bringing him up until this point in the season, the Mets are assured he won’t be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2016 season.
“He is that somebody we’re counting on for the future,” Alderson said. “So in that sense he’s beginning what we hope is a long career as a New York Met, a long, successful career as a New York Met.”
Barring rainouts, Wheeler and Matt Harvey could start in the day-night doubleheader at Turner Field. Harvey, a 24-year-old right-hander who made his major league debut last summer, is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 90 innings. He is one of the few bright spots for the Mets, fourth in the NL at 23-35.
“It would have been nice to maybe to have him a little bit longer, but there’s a need,” Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said of Wheeler, according to the Post. “I think the command part of it (needs work). The more that he pitches, the better he’s going to become. And he’s going to be fine. He’s going to continue to learn at the major-league level and against tougher lineups.”
I'm fucking pumped. Been awaiting Wheeler for a while and it's great to get him out of that shithole stadium in Las Vegas. If you don't know about how bad the Mets' Triple-A stadium in las Vegas is, read this:
"Basically, I can define it as the worst pitching place imaginable," reliever Greg Burke said.
"It's ridiculous how dry the balls are," top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler said. "It's hard to get a good grip on it."
"They got no water out here," manager Wally Backman said.
Only a handful of team-affiliate agreements expire each year, and if one of them isn't renewed, it creates a game of musical chairs. Las Vegas is the chair no team wants.
And the Mets have become the fanny no chair wants.
That place is no good for him or any of our guys. So his ERA is inflated. He needs to see MLB hitters anyway, so this is a huge step for us.
