MLB

Phenom could start season with Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE — When Zack Wheeler entered the game in the third inning of the Mets’ spring training opener yesterday, the temperature at Tradition Field read 86 degrees.

It was about to get hotter.

The blazing right-hander turned up the heat. A few more spring outings like this, and Wheeler will be forcing the Mets’ hand to put him in the starting rotation right now.

Forget Vegas, start at Citi Field.

Wally Backman, who was a young second baseman when Doc Gooden made his Mets debut in 1984, told The Post what Mets fans have been longing to hear:

“He’s very similar to Doc,’’ Backman said of Wheeler. “I think Doc’s breaking ball was a little bit bigger, but this kid has got, to me, real high expectations.’’

Yesterday was but a two-inning taste. Just wait.

PHOTOS: METS SPRING TRAINING

“When you see this kid throw 98 in the eighth inning as a starting pitcher, that’s what’s impressive,’’ Backman said. “He’s nice and easy, has great mechanics. He should stay healthy a long time.’’

Sitting behind home plate and watching Wheeler was former Mets general manager Joe McIlvaine, the scouting director when the Mets drafted Gooden. No one in the ballpark was better suited to give an evaluation of what he had just seen, as Wheeler worked two impressive innings after surrendering a leadoff walk.

Stephen Strasburg started for the Nationals, so McIlvaine watched Strasburg and Wheeler back to back.

“Easy gas, Wheeler is very similar to Strasburg,’’ McIlvaine said. “He threw about as hard. He’s the same type of breaking ball. The same type of elongated body.

“Strasburg is a little bit stronger but he’s a little bit older. The only differential I would say at this point is that [Wheeler’s] control is not as good as Strasburg’s. That’s the biggest difference, and that’s why he is still in the minor leagues.’’

Master that control, as Wheeler did in his second inning of work, and Wheeler will soon be mastering major league hitters.

McIlvaine, a special assistant with the Mariners, smiled and said of Wheeler, “I’d like to have a few like that.’’

Here is what you really have to like about Wheeler: He’s lights out on the radar gun but appears to throw the ball harder than those outstanding upper-90 numbers would indicate, because of his long stride and how the ball comes out of nowhere.

After his two-strikeout, one-hit performance in yesterday’s 5-3 win, Wheeler told The Post how he uses that delivery to his advantage.

“It’s sneaky, how the ball comes out,’’ Wheeler said as he worked through his delivery in the nearly empty Mets clubhouse. “They don’t pick it up to about right there,’’ he noted as he extended his right arm to the point of release. “It just jumps on them and I stride out pretty far. I’m out there another foot than maybe somebody else.’’

As a result, that 96 or 97 mph appears faster.

Wheeler walked the first batter he faced, then an inside fastball got away. Veteran catcher John Buck went out for a meeting, and realizing Wheeler was a bit too amped up, Buck asked Wheeler, “Are you excited? A little nervous?’’

“He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Good, you should be,’ ’’ Buck said.

David Wright told Wheeler, “You’re good enough to beat these guys, just relax and go.’’

Those two veteran voices got Wheeler in the proper mindset and from that point on, he owned the Washington hitters. Those are lessons learned in the majors, not the minors.

Buck had Wheeler throw some breaking balls to get him going.

“I mentioned it must be fun for a veteran catcher to work with a young pitcher like that and Buck said, “It really is. He’s got a lot of weapons, that’s for sure.’’

A few more outings like this, and it will not be long before Wheeler is using those weapons with the Mets.