Via Joel Sherman -
So this game was yet another reminder that – forecasts to the contrary – the Mets’ young players are outdoing their Yankee counterparts in 2008. That is among the reasons the Mets are in first place and the Yanks are barely hanging in the wild-card race.
Pelfrey, at 24, is just 11 months older than Ian Kennedy. Yet while Pelfrey was becoming the first Mets hurler 24 or younger to win 12 games since Bobby Jones went 12-7 in his age-24 season in 1994, Kennedy was losing last night at Triple-A. The starting center-fielder behind him was Melky Cabrera, who hit so poorly this season that Johnny Damon was in center in Toronto on Tuesday night to mess up a game. Cabrera was flanked by Shelley Duncan, who was supposed to supply righty pop for the Yanks this season. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is where a lot of 2008 Yankee dreams have gone to die this season.
Robinson Cano isn’t a batting champ as projected. He is a disappointment. The four young starters the Yanks were most counting upon this year – Kennedy, Phil Hughes, Jeff Marquez and Alan Horne – have tanked so badly physically and via performance that Carl Pavano likely will start a critical game Saturday. Hughes, Kennedy, Marquez and Cabrera were among the players the Yanks did not want to part with when they were first in line to obtain Johan Santana.
That enabled the Mets to sneak in and land him despite not giving up Pelfrey. Nick Evans has joined Murphy in a left-field platoon bringing not only production, but energy. And for the record, both David Wright and Jose Reyes are younger than Cano, and Wright is definitely an MVP candidate, and Reyes will probably be part of the discussion, as well.
What’s been the difference between the Mets and Yankees starting pitching so far this season? Stats via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:
Mets SP RSAA GS Johan Santana 27 26 Oliver Perez 3 26 Mike Pelfrey 4 25 John Maine 4 24 Pedro Martinez -6 13 Nelson Figueroa -4 6 Yank SP RSAA GS Andy Pettitte 8 27 Mike Mussina 21 26 Darrell Rasner -3 17 Chien-Ming Wang 6 15 Joba Chamberlain 20 12 Sidney Ponson 1 9 Ian Kennedy -16 9 Phil Hughes -11 6
Mussina has been as good as Santana this year, so far. And, Pettitte has been better than Perez – albeit not by a ton. I guess you can say that the combination of Wang/Joba offsets Maine – making it a push, despite Wang/Joba having better numbers, because Maine is still pitching (while Wang/Joba are missing now and have been replaced by Ponson). And, as crazy has this sounds, based on the numbers, Pedro are Rasner are about even, in terms of effectiveness this season, so far.
That leaves Pelfrey for the Mets against the Yankees combination of Hughes/Kennedy. And, clearly, that’s been in the Mets favor this year. So, in one sense, Sherman is correct. The Mets young gun (Pelfrey) is doing what the Yankees young guns (Hughes/Kennedy) were supposed to be doing…and that’s one major difference between these teams.
15 Responses to “Sherman: Mets Youth Better Than Yanks Kids”
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August 21st, 2008 at 9:49 am
Are you high? This is Pelfrey’s third season with MLB action. Prior to this season (93ip) he had an era over 5.5 with a WHIP over 1.75.
Anyway,
Joba > Pelfry
Wang > Maine
What’s so hard to understand about that? You posted the numbers right there.
August 21st, 2008 at 9:49 am
The Mets young gun (Pelfrey) is doing what the Yankees young guns (Hughes/Kennedy) were supposed to be doing…and that’s one major difference between these teams.
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True. And that gives me hope for the future because Hughes/Pelfrey both graduated with honors from the minor leagues and Pelfrey’s first go-around as a big league starter was pretty lousy.
Pelfrey’s finally developing, thanks to patience and maturation. Hughes can too, if we just give him a chance.
Furthermore, Sherman’s column is disingenuous. Did the Twins ever ask for Mike Pelfrey? As far as I can remember, there wasn’t a whole lot of interest in him since the Twins were so focused on Deolis Guerra. The part about the Evans/Murphy platoon bringing “energy” is laughable. What, we start measuring a minor league system based on the energy it brings? Give me a break. Further, who ever compared Cano to Wright/Reyes? Why is that even part of the discussion?
Sherman’s an idiot, but what else is new?
August 21st, 2008 at 10:05 am
~~Joba > Pelfry
Wang > Maine
What’s so hard to understand about that? You posted the numbers right there.~~
Except, Pelfrey and Maine are pitching now whereas Wang and Joba are closing out the summer on the DL.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:07 am
The mets and their fans were ready to dump pelfrey on the curb in the beginning of even this year. Everyone was pissed because the mets gave him a major league deal outta the draft. Let’s not get crazy here…
August 21st, 2008 at 10:11 am
Well, if anything, I was looking at this at the start of this season:
http://waswatching.com/2008/04/10/mike-pelfrey-vs-phil-hughes/
August 21st, 2008 at 10:18 am
Isn’t this supposed to be comparing how each team’s “young players” performed?
Wang/Joba 27 GS 26 RSAA
Pelfery/Maine 49 GS 8 RSAA
Maine just got off the DL for (guess what!?) shoulder problems!
The obvious difference is the Mets’ coaching staff’s superior teaching of base running skills.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
And, as crazy has this sounds, based on the numbers, Pedro are Rasner are about even, in terms of effectiveness this season, so far.
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Given context, it’s not crazy @ all. Pedro’s been hurt & his career’s winding down.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:52 am
Obviously, the Yankees should trade Hughes, Joba, and Wang to the Mets for Mike Pelfry, John Maine, and Oliver Perez. That should make up for sending Scott Kazmir, a fragile unproven AA guy for Victor Zambrano.
Maybe we can send Austin Jackson over there for Fernando Tatis, as well.
Go Mets!
August 21st, 2008 at 11:05 am
And The Dodgers youth is better than the White Sox youth.
Seriously, who cares about the freaking Mets?
A) They are not in our league
B) They are not in our League
C) The most important factor…..THEY ARE NOT IN OUR LEAGUE!!!!
What a freaking joke Sherman is.
”Oh, I’m Joel Sherman and I’m the type of douchebag that judges young players in their 1st year of being professional. I do it because I’m a Type A douchebag.
I also completely disregard 3 years of ball when assessing Robinson Cano. Thats the douchebag in me again.
Idiot.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:07 am
You wonder why fans treat the Yankees are a team playing 162 regular seasons?
It is because of cretins like Sherman and his world class analytical skills.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:08 am
Come on Steve. You are better than this!!
August 21st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
On DJ2’s tip, if the Blue Jays were in the NL they would probably be 5 games ahead of the Mets right now. Talk about AAAA. BUT the Mets youth movement is a surprise because they were supposed to be barren after the Santana trade. I guess not , kids like the Irish Hammer (Murphy), the other Reyes, and Evans have been providing a spark. What has Gardner and Christian done? Very little comparatively. The answer to all of this is: blame Cashman!
August 21st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Nick Evans has joined Murphy in a left-field platoon bringing not only production, but energy
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Yep… And last year, everyone was talking about how Cano & Cabrera bring “spark” and “energy.”
Whatever…
August 21st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Raf, that Duncan/Melky/Cabrera trinity was last year. In this country, you’re only as good as your last movie. That youth movement worked for the Yanks last year(including Joba) but hasn’t panned out next year. Sometimes it’s the luck of the draw, so let’s see how the Irish Hammer, Reyes Jr and Co do down the stretch. Namely, if they can make it to the playoffs and go all the way.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
In this country, you’re only as good as your last movie.
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I find this mindset troubling.