Zack Wheeler will be one of the most intriguing Mets in St. Lucie next spring training. And the question is whether he will compete for a rotation spot.
“Sort of a long shot, “but I just want to push myself, try to get that job.” Wheeler said yesterday,
Wheeler, who was at Citi field before the Mets’ 11-3 rain-delayed loss to the Braves, was being honored with other minor leaguers in the organization.
The 22-year-old’s assessment about not pitching in the big leagues next season is likely correct.
“His chances are slim,” manager Terry Collins said. “But you can’t say he won’t. There’s no definite.”
The organization views Wheeler the way it though of Matt Harvey entering this season — not in a rotation competition in spring training and probably more a replacement in the season.
“I’ve still got some work to do,” Wheeler said. “I have to work on the mental part a little bit more.”
How good can Wheeler be? Last month, Triple-A Buffalo manager Wally Backman gave the young right-hander rave reviews.
“The first pitch out of his hand was 98 [mph],” he said. “The velocity’s there. He’s a kid that has tons and tons of upside.”
Wheeler went 12-8 with a 3.26 ERA in 25 combined starts for Double- and Triple-A this season, striking out 148 in 149 innings.
“[He has] plus stuff, and [is] one of the top prospects in all of baseball,” said Paujl DePodesta, the Mets vice president of player development and amateur scouting.
Including Wheeler, the Mets have a quartet of promising young pitchers — the others being Harvey, Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia.
Here’s a look at the other three members — all currently in the majors — of the what the Mets hope will be their Core Four:
HARVEY: The 23-year-old has been impressive in his eight major league starts. Though he is just 3-4, he has posted a solid 3.04 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings. Harvey, who has pitched 157 1/3 innings, has two more starts before being shut down.
If you’re wondering if Wheeler will have a Harvey-esque innings limit next year, DePodesta noted that Wheeler’s max shouldn’t be as low because he threw 149 innings this season, whereas Harvey logged 135.2 last year.
MEJIA: Collins said Mejia is tentatively scheduled to make his first major league start this season on Sept. 19. The right-hander, who turns 23 next month, allowed one run in two relief innings Friday, his first time pitching in the majors since 2010. The Mets are uncertain if Mejia ultimately will be a starter or a reliever. In Triple-A this season, he posted a 2.75 ERA in 10 starts and a 5.48 ERA in 16 relief outings.
“He’s got pretty good stuff,” catcher Kelly Shoppach said. “He [has conviction] in what he was throwing.”
FAMILIA: The 6-foot-4 230-pound right-hander, who also turns 23 next month, had his second MLB appearance last night, allowing two runs in a hard-hit inning. Collins said it’s possible the fireballer Familia (97 mph last night) might get a start in the season’s final week.
Familia spent the seasoon at Triple-A, going 9-9 with a 4.73 ERA. As with Mejia, the Mets don’t know if Familia will be best as a starter or reliever.
* Fans with tickets to last night’s game can redeem them for free tickets to tomorrow’s game. More info is at mets.com. … Collins opted not to give Ruben Tejada a second straight day off, saying he wants him to learn to play through fatigue. He went 0-for-4 and his averaged dropped to .291.