As if none of you know already, our favorite Santana just wrapped up a fantastic outing against the actually-sporting-their-real-lineup Cardinals. Despite the fact it’s only Spring Training, a line like this can’t be ignored:
6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 69 pitches
There are two numbers there that stand out here, 0 and 69. That Santana didn’t walk anyone is a huge positive. While we have to assume that his velocity will be down this year, and thus the strikeouts, he will have to rely increasingly on the kind of pinpoint control that produces these kinds of results. Additionally, the 69 pitches show he wasn’t wasting any time. The fewer pitches he throws, the less strain on his arm, and the more effectively he can go at batters. That 48 of his 69 pitches were for strikes only serves to highlight the control that resulted in a 6:0 K:BB ratio today.
The gaudy strikeout totals may not be there this season, nor the complete games, nor the 96 mph fastball. But if Johan can give us efforts like this over about 150 innings this year, the Mets will be getting the more out of him than I think many expected.
Oh, also. Johan struck out Beltran today. Just sayin…
6 comments
Stickguy
3/21/2012-4:40pm at 4:40 pm (UTC -4)
Santana never threw many CGs, and if he ever threw 96, it was long before he became a Met, so not missing anything there!
This really is shocking (for a change in Met land, in a good way).
If Johan really is going to be able to pitch effectively, there is a decent chance that the rotation many not be a black hole after all. No, not going to put up the gaudy numbers of the Phils rotation, but they can certainly be somewhere between serviceable, and not that bad.
Depends heavily of course if Gee can keep this development going.
anyway, Santana is huge. Dickey is fine, I have been expecting Neise to take a big step forward this year anyway, and if Gee can be solid that means the 1-4 is really not that bad. I won’t touch the #5 guy.
Ceetar
3/21/2012-4:52pm at 4:52 pm (UTC -4)
If Santana is going to pitch (it’s about getting to 100 pitches really) he’s going to pitch well. I’d take that 1-2 punch any time.
If Niese were ALSO able to step up, pitch 190 innings and to even a 4 ERA the Mets would be fighting for the division all season.
Stickguy
3/21/2012-5:16pm at 5:16 pm (UTC -4)
I just hope it doesn’t all come done to the BP again!
Though this year, I expect to see a lot of churn, with guys coming up out of the minors for some action to replace any old guys not getting it done.
saltygary
3/22/2012-8:54am at 8:54 am (UTC -4)
It will come down to the BP and that’s one of the reasons Alderson focused on that area. There is not one pitcher on the staff who has demonstrated that they can consistently get into the 7th inning. The BP is going to be burned out come July.
MetsFan4Decades
3/21/2012-5:36pm at 5:36 pm (UTC -4)
I’m moving from my earlier prediction of ‘no way he’s ready for opening day’ to cautiously optimistic now.
As par though for a good Santana outing he gets no run support.
Wish this offense as a whole would get going. Last several games, we’re getting runners on but are ending any threats with these constant double plays they’re hitting into.
darknova306
3/22/2012-6:37am at 6:37 am (UTC -4)
This is great news, but I feel no need to abandon my skepticism yet. I expect nothing out of him until I’m sitting in Citi Field on Opening Day watching him actually pitch in a regular season game. Still, it seems like all positives so far for him, which is something that rarely happens for this team these days.