Zack Wheeler
NOT QUITE READY: Mets starter Jon Niese, reacting after being struck with a ball in last night’s loss to the Dodgers, may miss a start but, the Post’s Kevin Kernan writes, prospect Zack Wheeler (inset) hasn’t earned a promotion to the majors. (Paul J. Bereswill; Anthony J. Causi)
Zack Wheeler, this is your wakeup call.
It was shown again last night in vivid detail that Wheeler, Ace of the Future, is one bounce away from the majors and the Mets’ rotation, if only he could get his act together.
Jon Niese was hit in the lower right leg on a one-hop smash off the bat of Mark Ellis and crumbled to the ground along the first base line in the third inning of the Dodgers’ 7-2 pounding of the Mets at Citi Field. Niese had to leave the game.
Niese is tough and after the ugly loss, he said he expected to make his next start Sunday against the Phillies. X-rays were negative and Niese said it was more of a “stinger’’ than anything else.
“It’s a lot better than I thought it would be, initially, it hurt pretty bad,’’ he said.
On this night, it appears the Mets dodged the injury bullet, but it’s clear that with this staff there will be opportunities for young starters. Wheeler, though, is not ready to be promoted. All you have to do is look at his last start for Las Vegas where he allowed six walks.
This is still a production oriented game. Wheeler simply does not deserve to be promoted at this point.
Yes, he has a golden right arm, but it’s time to transform that talent into forcing the Mets’ hand.
“If Zack Wheeler wants to be here, start throwing strikes,” a Mets official told The Post. “I don’t want to hear about anything else. Throw strikes.’’
There you have it.
Wheeler has made four starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this year and, granted he is coming off a strained oblique during spring training and a blister on his middle finger that hampered him his first two starts, but the numbers are not pretty. Over 18 1/3 innings Wheeler has surrendered 12 walks and 20 hits, which gives him a 1.745 WHIP, an 0-1 record and a 4.91 ERA.
The problem with being a top prospect is that too often organizations coddle them. They make too many excuses. In terms of baseball, they do a bad job of parenting their players.
Make the players accountable, don’t make excuses for them. The Mets are trying to make Wheeler accountable.
Wheeler has been given a great opportunity and so far is not making the most of the situation. The front office wants Wheeler to represent future success for this team. They want Wheeler and tonight’s real ace Matt Harvey, 24, to be anchors of a rotation that will carry the Mets in the years to come.
But Wheeler has to do his part.
The Mets wanted the same thing for catcher Travis d’Arnaud but d’Arnaud fractured his left foot and for the second straight season is on the shelf. He doesn’t have that opportunity to succeed because of the injury.
Wheeler needs to learn from all this. Wheeler must start to command his pitches. He must take control of his career so when the opportunity comes he will be the one called to the majors.
It looks like Wheeler is ready to get it in gear.
He wrote this on Twitter last night: “Snowed out two days in a row here in Colorado. Heading back to Vegas tomorrow. About to turn this funk around and show out.’’
The good statistical news is Wheeler owns 21 strikeouts over those 18 1/3 innings. He has allowed just one home run. He has 64 minor league starts. Harvey, who pitched at North Carolina before being drafted, had 48 minor league starts before getting called up last summer.
Harvey was 7-5 over his 20 starts with a 3.68 ERA at Triple-A last season, not great, but good enough. Then he turned it up a notch. Wheeler will turn 23 on May 30.
Let this be a wake-up call for him. Focus on throwing strikes and the rest will take care of itself.
Wheeler has talent, but it takes more than talent to take advantage of an opportunity.