Zack Wheels and deals as rotation fight gets started
PORT ST. LUCIE — After being benched for showing up late to the morning meeting on Friday, Dominic Smith stuck around to watch the Mets spring training opener against the Braves. If he was paying attention, Zack Wheeler taught him a very important lesson.
Now 27 and still coming back from an arduous rehab from 2015 Tommy John surgery that has tested him and the Mets’ faith in him, Wheeler is battling to stay out of the bullpen. The former first-round pick, and at one time the organization’s top prospect, Wheeler comes into this spring training with a lot to prove. And Friday, he got down to business. After signing lefty Jason Vargas to a twoyear deal last week, the Mets have penciled Wheeler in to work out of the bullpen to start the season, a front office source said. He needs to have a great spring to pitch his way into the rotation.
“He was out there getting after it. He knows he’s got great stuff. He knows he hasn’t been healthy and he knows he has to earn a position,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He went out there today and that was very good.”
Wheeler said he felt good on the mound and he looked it. His velocity was up with his fastball sitting around 95-96 miles an hour and touching 97 at one point through the first four batters of the Braves lineup. He needed 15 pitches, 10 for strikes, to get through the first inning.
He did all he needed to do for the first outing of spring.
“I just go out there and just pitch like I know how. When I am healthy I know what I can do. I know what I am capable of,” Wheeler said. “I just keep my head down, just go out there and pitch whenever they need me to, get my pitch count up, throw good quality strikes, get ahead of hitters and work off of that.”
He began Friday behind, but recovered nicely.
Ozzie Albies singled on the first pitch, but that gave Wheeler a chance to show off an improved technique at holding runners. He held himself for an extended period on the mound and fired a pitch home in 1.2 seconds, giving catcher Travis d’Arnaud a great chance to throw out Albies if Amed Rosario had been able to hold onto the ball.
All of those little things — like showing up on time and trying to hold runners in a spring training game — make an impression on a new manager.
“We’re looking at them to go in and pound the zone, get ahead, control the running game, do all those things that are going to separate them from one another,” Callaway said of the pitchers vying for positions. “They all have very, very good stuff. If they can separate themselves in some type of way, that’s going to matter.”
Wheeler struck out Dansby Swanson with a 97 mile-an-hour fastball and coaxed a ground out to second from Johan Camargo. He struck out Rio Ruiz to end his day.
Callaway talked to Wheeler about focusing on those little things this week, after the Daily News reported that the front office was ticketing him to go into the bullpen. He appreciated the support, but knows the deal.
“It keeps you at ease, allows you to concentrate on what you need to be concentrating on,” Wheeler said. “It didn’t take my mind off of it or anything but yeah, it allows me to concentrate a little bit more.” mith, who like Wheeler was a firstround pick who has been touted as a top prospect, should have been concentrating on what Wheeler was going through. Nothing is guaranteed in the big leagues no matter how big a prospect you were.
“Mickey came up to me the other day and said don’t worry about all that kind of stuff. Keep your head down and go about your business and try to go out there and win a job,” Wheeler said.
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