In baseball, there's an old saying: 'You can't have enough starting pitchers.' If every baseball fan had a penny for the number of times they've heard that, they could probably pay for both Soto’s and Ohtani’s contracts and still have enough left over to cover Bobby Bonilla’s deferred payments.But after looking at the Mets' 2024 rotation, it feels like a truth more sacred than the seventh-inning stretch. Injuries piled up faster than cars on the LIE during rush hour, and by the end of the season, 12 different pitchers, 1 dozen arms had made starts for the Mets. From dependable regulars like Sean Manaea, José Quintana, and Luis Severino, who each logged over 30 starts, to stopgap solutions like Christian Scott, José Buttó, and Adrian Houser, it became clear that depth wasn’t a luxury — it was a necessity. Even Julio Teheran got in on the action, with his one lonely start .
The lesson here? You can’t rely on just five guys to get you through a 162-game season. That’s why moves like signing pitchers like Griffin Canning matter. They’re not just about bolstering the rotation; they’re about ensuring the Mets don’t have to scramble for arms midseason. After all, as Mets fans learned last year, having a dozen different starters is only a problem when you don’t have a solid dozen to choose from. With 2025 on the horizon, the Mets are betting that a deeper pool of options will help keep the ship afloat when the inevitable bumps and bruises arrive.
So, what’s the plan for 2025? Well, let's start by penciling in the obvious four: Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Frankie Montas, and Clay Holmes. But, knowing the Mets’ recent history, we’re also going to assume they’ll add one more arm to the mix to round out the five-man rotation. My bet? Either Sean Manaea re-signs or, just to keep things interesting, the Mets pull off something bold and land Japanese sensation Rōki Sasaki. Either way, that front-end rotation has potential.
But here’s where things get... unpredictable. Last season, the Mets used 12 starters. That’s not a typo—12. So, based on the laws of baseball physics (and Murphy’s Law, Edward A. Murphy Jr., not Daniel, for those keeping track), we’ll assume they’ll need at least seven more pitchers to make starts in 2025. Yes, seven. Let’s take a look at the in-house candidates who might get the call when someone’s hamstring, shoulder, or elbow decides it’s time for a vacation. And just for good measure (or, more accurately, bad luck), I’ve thrown in one extra name. Because, let’s face it, at some point this season, we’ll all be praying for good luck... and likely getting the opposite.
When it comes to stacking up these pitchers on the depth chart, we’re essentially trying to decide who’s the least likely to give their manager acid reflux. Let’s break it all down with a mix of stats, potential, and a healthy dose of realism because, well, someone’s gotta eat innings, right?
Paul Blackburn is like your old pair of sneakers—reliable, but you’re never showing them off. He’s durable enough to keep you from scouring the waiver wire every week, and his control has improved, which helps offset the fact that his WHIP suggests he’s inviting way too many friends to the basepath party. Blackburn’s ceiling isn’t high, but his floor is stable. Think of him as the rotation’s duct tape: not flashy, but it gets the job done.
Dylan Covey is that guy you only call in emergencies, and even then, you’re checking your watch every inning. His 2023 ERA was surprisingly respectable, but the career WAR of -2.5 is a giant flashing sign that says, “Proceed with caution.” The low strikeouts, high walks, and WHIP hovering around the stratosphere mean you’re more likely to see fireworks than groundouts. Covey is bullpen depth at best—think of him as a “break glass in case of apocalypse” pitcher.
Max Kranick is a mystery box. He’s young and has shown flashes of talent, but between limited MLB action and some ugly peripherals like a WHIP that screams “hit me,” there’s a lot of guessing involved. He’s the kind of guy you stash in Triple-A and hope a year of seasoning turns him into something more than a spot starter.
Tylor Megill brings the heat—and occasionally gets burned by it. His strikeout stuff is undeniable, and he’s built like a guy who could carry a rotation, but the inconsistency is maddening. One game, he looks like an ace; the next, he’s giving up doubles like Oprah gives out cars. Megill has mid-rotation potential if he can just limit the damage and throw more strikes.
And then there’s the newly signed Griffin Canning, the enigma. His career reads like the plot of a middling TV drama—some highlights, a few cliffhangers, and more than one plot twist you didn’t see coming. He’s got the stuff to stick in a rotation, but his durability and ERA suggest he might be better suited as the fifth starter, where expectations are lower, and nobody’s asking him to save the day.
The AAA trio—Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell, and Joander Suarez—offers various shades of hope and frustration. Tidwell leads the pack with advanced command and strikeout potential; he’s got future rotation stud written all over him. Sproat is a project with raw tools that could turn into something special if his control improves. Suarez is the wild card—great velocity but still figuring out how to pitch rather than just throw. He’s probably bullpen-bound unless he finds consistency.
Final Depth Chart Ranking (as of now):
1. Blade Tidwell – The young gun with the brightest future. If he keeps developing, he’s your top guy in a year or two.
2. Tylor Megill – Strikeouts and durability put him second, but he’s gotta cut the walks and hard contact.
3. Paul Blackburn– The steady hand you stick in the middle of the rotation when you need innings, not excitement.
4. Griffin Canning – Talented but inconsistent; think of him as a roll of the dice for the back end.
5. Brandon Sproat – High ceiling, low floor. He’s intriguing but not MLB-ready just yet.
6. Max Kranick – A developmental piece who might surprise you someday, just not today. While he sits at No. 6 for now, don’t count him out just yet. Kranick has the kind of raw talent that could catch fire in AAA faster than a ball off Juan Soto's bat. If he puts it all together down there, he could climb this depth chart quicker than you can say “future ace.” Until then, he’s the guy you keep an eye on because you never know when the light bulb will click.
7. Joander Suarez – Bullpen potential unless he masters his secondary pitches.
8. Dylan Covey – The guy you reluctantly call up when everyone else is hurt—or hiding.
There you have it. If you’re looking for stability, it’s Blackburn. If you want upside, it’s Tidwell and Megill. And if you just need someone to keep the game within reach, well, there’s always Covey.
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