Paul Blackburn to Make Mets Debut on Friday

Jason Burke | Aug 1, 2024

Apr 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports / James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oakland A's starter Paul Blackburn is scheduled to make his New York Mets debut on Friday, and he'll be facing a very familiar foe in the Los Angeles Angels. Blackburn had spent parts of eight seasons with the A's, and in that time in the AL West, he faced the Angels a total of six times and has never lost to the Halos.

In those six starts, Blackburn is 4-0 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.212 WHIP, totaling 33 innings. Of the former divisional foes that Blackburn could be facing, the Angels offer the best landing spot for the new Mets righty. Blackburn has never racked up a win in seven starts against the Houston Astros, tallying a 9.74 ERA in 32 1/3 innings, and he has also not had much luck against the Texas Rangers, going 0-3 with a 12.00 ERA in five starts (21 IP). He has at least won a couple of games against the Seattle Mariners, going 2-5 in nine starts with a 5.89 ERA.

One thing to keep an eye on for Blackburn is that while he has had success against the Angels in the past, he still holds a 4.22 ERA at Angel Stadium in four starts, but has also picked up three of his four wins against the franchise at the Big A.

If Blackburn stays on turn every fifth day, he will be making the Wednesday start in Colorado against the Rockies, and then opening up the next homestand on Tuesday, August 13 when the Mets welcome in Blackburn's former team, the Oakland A's.

Blackburn holds a career 4.83 ERA in 81 appearances (77 starts) across parts of eight seasons, though he has been roughly a league average pitcher the last three years with Oakland. The one caveat is that he has missed chunks of time each of the last three seasons, too. When he's on the mound, he's be solid, and with the Mets chasing down a wild-card spot, having him on the mound should provide opportunities to win some games each time out. He may not be an ace, but he'll certainly keep his team in the game while providing innings.

The A's traded 30-year-old Blackburn, who has one more season of team control, in exchange for right-hander Kade Morris. Oakland's new addition has been slotted as the A's No. 20 prospect on MLB Pipeline, though they haven't added in players from July's MLB Draft just yet, so he'll likely slide down at least a couple of spots when those lists are updated.