Starting Pitching Preview

With Pedro out until at least August the Mets will give the opportunities to some young guys to show what they can do on the big league stage. After Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez the rotation is comprised of John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Mike Pelfrey. I expect another solid year from Glavine, who needs only 10 wins to get to 300, which should be an incredible spectacle, which we only hope will happen at Shea. El Duque is good for a few missed starts and a couple trips to the DL, but what can you expect from a guy who turns 73 in July, other than that he should impress and have a solid season when he's healthy. John Maine had a brilliant rookie year last year, putting up a 3.10 ERA and at one point throwing 26 consecutive scoreless innings. After a solid spring i see no reason for him to not grow on what he built last year. Oliver Perez is a real wild card, which Oliver Perez will we get, the guy who threw 6 innings of 1 run ball in Game 7 of the NLCS or the guy who was 3-13 last year with an ERA over 6, only time will tell, but he's got the stuff to be perfect any night he steps on the hill. Mike Pelfrey beat out a cast of veterans and young guys to earn his role as the teams fifth starter. Pelfrey was decent in his rookie debut last season, and should build on that this year, especially with the addition of his slider to his repertoire. The Mets have guys in the bullpen, Aaron Sele and Chan Ho Park, and in the minors, Jorge Sosa, Jason Vargas, and Phil Humber, who could step in and fill a spot at any time in the season. Should the Mets be lucky enough to get Pedro back in August or September look for him to contribute during the stretch run. I see the starting pitching not being as big of a problem as so many of the "experts" think it will be.