ZACK IS ALL GROWN UP
Met righty showing signs of maturity
ATLANTA — As he stood on the mound, waiting for Daniel Murphy to finish trotting around the bases, Zack Wheeler took a deep breath. There would be plenty of time to dissect that pitch, plenty of time to get upset later. In that moment, however, Wheeler knew he had to refocus quickly.
The Mets didn’t have the bullpen to back him up if he didn’t get himself deep into the game. So then the 26-year old showed that, despite having not thrown a pitch in a game the past two years, he had continued to develop as a pitcher. He’s grown up. “Two years ago, if he’d given up a grand slam to Daniel Murphy in the first inning, he would have been done,” Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said of the bomb Wheeler gave up to the former Met on April 23. “He would have lost his focus, we wouldn’t have gotten much more from him after that.
“He’s matured on the mound.”
Sure, Wheeler is still showing rust from that two-year hiatus, but at times you can see that talent he was back in 2014, with the electric stuff and the deceptive delivery starting to come of age. Even with some inconsistency, the Mets’ controversial decision to skip the minor league rehab games and bring Wheeler right to the big leagues now looks smart.
The rotation’s potential is exciting for the Mets.
“When he’s on, he’s exciting to watch because he has that rare mix of strikeout and groundball pitcher,” one scout who watched Wheeler all spring said. “He has a very long delivery, the ball comes at the hitters from out of nowhere seemingly. The balls he throws are heavy, it’s hard for guys to barrel up.
“He’s always had great stuff,” the scout said, “the question was when was he going to put it together with maturity and composure on the mound.”
Wheeler, who had his start Thursday wiped out by rain, is beginning to answer that question.
Initially, the Mets planned to let Wheeler start the season in extended spring and have him join the club later. His ability to bounce back healthy after outings this spring and just how good he looked facing major league hitters made the Mets change their mind.
For Warthen, another reason was watching the way Wheeler has approached his comeback.
“There is a huge difference,” Warthen said. “He is much more diligent with his work. He’s more focused and he understands what he is preparing for.”
The past two years have given Wheeler plenty of time to prepare for his return.
Wheeler’s Tommy John surgery was complicated by a tendon tear and then by setback after setback. A year after the surgery, he needed another procedure to remove a stitch that did not dissolve from the initial surgery. He felt discomfort and irritation in the elbow as he tried to work his way back last season. He was finally shut down in September after making just one rain-shortened rehab appearance.
It was a frustrating and boring time for him.
“I spent a lot of time watching baseball,” Wheeler said. “There wasn’t a lot else I could do, so I watched baseball and did my rehab. I watched a lot of baseball and thought about when I got back.”
Wheeler didn’t just watch, he studied hitters, he studied other pitchers. He thought about pitching and how he would approach different challenges when he got back.
“I learned a little bit from watching all those games that I can use now. A few things,” Wheeler said with a laugh. “I watched enough baseball to know better than to have thrown Daniel Murphy down and away.”
A week later, Wheeler pitched Murphy down and inside and struck him out in the Mets’ revenge 5-3 win.
The Mets made the decision to start Wheeler in the big leagues before their rotation was stretched thin by injuries to Steven Matz, Seth Lugo and Noah Syndergaard. They still have some concern about the added stressful innings that Wheeler is being asked to pitch, but he is comfortable with what the team expects from him.
“It’s the same feeling as I remember from before,” Wheeler said, “it doesn’t feel like it’s more stressful or anything.
“But it does feel like every fifth day comes faster than I remember it — and I like it. I am glad I get the chance every time I get back out there.”