How New York Mets Might Align Wild Card Rotation

How New York Mets might align Wild Card rotation.
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The MLB postseason is upon us and the New York Mets will be hosting the San Diego Padres at Citi Field in the Wild Card series this weekend.

So what might the Mets' pitching probables look like in this series?

As manager Buck Showalter told reporters after Wednesday's 9-2 regular season finale victory over the Washington Nationals, co-ace Max Scherzer will start Game 1 against the Padres on Friday.

Beyond Scherzer, both SNY and The New York Post have reported that the Mets are mulling the possibility of starting Chris Bassitt in Game 2 - on one condition. If Scherzer and the Mets win the first contest, Bassitt will likely pitch the second game of the series. 

The idea behind this plan is to save Jacob deGrom for Game 1 and Game 5 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, if the Mets advance. DeGrom would pitch Game 2 of the Wild Card if the Mets lose the series opener, or he'd take the mound in Game 3, if necessary.

An additional reason that the Mets want to line deGrom up to pitch the first and last games of the NLDS is due to the fact that he cannot pitch on short rest. Scherzer on the other hand could possibly pitch in relief in a potential Game 5.

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- Why Taijuan Walker Deserves Spot in Mets' Postseason Rotation

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.