JUPITER, Fla. — Chris Young just wants to fit in with the Mets’ scrap attack.
When the 6-foot-10 veteran righty considers the starting pitchers around him this spring, he doesn’t see raw talent bursting at the seams. But determination and smarts certainly aren’t lacking.
“On paper it might not be the best-looking group of guys, but when you run us out there, we’re all going to compete,” Young said yesterday after allowing one unearned run over three innings, leading the Mets past the Marlins, 4-3, in a Grapefruit League game.
Young, who figures to slot into the Mets’ rotation behind Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese and R.A. Dickey, made it two appearances without allowing an earned run, but he wasn’t thrilled yesterday with the fact he needed 51 pitches over three innings. The Marlins got their only run against Young with help from third baseman Nick Evans’ throwing error that helped extend the first inning.
Overall, Young allowed two hits and walked two.
“Sometimes the results are better than the way you pitch, and sometimes the opposite,” Young said. “Most importantly, I felt good. I felt strong. The ball had life on it. It’s something to build on.”
A week into exhibition action, the Mets are happy with what they have seen from starting pitchers. Young, Pelfrey, Niese, Dickey and Chris Capuano all had strong starts, the first step in trying to prove this rotation can survive until Johan Santana returns from shoulder surgery, presumably by the All-Star break.
Young, who has a history of shoulder problems, is a wild card. He hasn’t started more than 20 games since 2007 with the Padres, but has averaged 11 wins in his full seasons.
“If this guy is healthy, he is going to help us,” manager Terry Collins said. “Right now he’s healthy, and we’re going to try to make sure he stays healthy, because I think he’s going to be a huge part of this team.”
Young made one April start for the Padres last season before getting sidelined with shoulder soreness. He returned in September to pitch three important games in the pennant race. The Padres ultimately finished a game short of the postseason.
“In a lot of ways it was the most challenging season I’ve ever had athletically at any level,” Young said. “In a lot of ways it was the most rewarding season I’ve ever had, too — to go through all the rehab, and to get back there and pitch in those games.
“But it set me up well for this year. It gave me the confidence going into the offseason that my arm’s healthy. I was pain-free and I was able to continue working on pitching and mechanics through the offseason versus rehabbing, which was really nice.”
And that puts him in position to become a linchpin in a rotation that lacks star power.
“It’s a talented group of guys that are of high character, that are going to go out and give their best effort time in and time out and also kind of overachieve,” Young said. “I think that’s the makeup of the group, and that’s something that really excites me — to be part of a group that can go out there and surprise people.”