Starting to think big about a healthy staff
PORT ST. LUCIE — For the Mets, it is beginning to come together. You can start to see what it will mean to run Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz out there back-toback-to-back-to-back.
It looks a bit like the Braves in their glory days.
It is all about the starts — 30 is the magic number, 33 is the dream number.
“That’s how teams win,’’ manager Terry Collins said Saturday. “You don’t have to juggle your rotation, teams win when you go every five days. I go back to the Braves, for 14 years they ran the same people out there all the time.’’
That gave Atlanta its playoff run from 19912005, with one strike year.
“As talented as those five guys are, no matter which five they are, if you got 33 starts out of every one of those guys,’’ Collins said of his starters, “I’ll take my chances where I am at the end of the year. That’s how talented they are, they are going to beat teams.’’
The fifth spot could go to Robert Gsellman, Zack Wheeler or Seth Lugo.
Matz pitched three innings Saturday, allowing one unearned run while striking out two in the Nationals’ 6-0 win at First Data Field.
“This rotation is really good,’’ veteran Neil Walker told The Post. “I haven’t been a part of a team that has as much depth in a starting rotation as is here. They all look so sharp. I think everybody knows the deal here. If we play to our capabilities and everybody stays healthy, we’ve got a chance to attain our goals, but that’s on us, a sixmonth regular season.
“We know what Washington is bringing to the table, we know our division is better than it was last year, so we have to take care of things in our division first.’’
If you have the starting pitching life is good.
Now into the post-Tim Tebow portion of spring training, Collins said the Mets cut- ting back on pitchers throwing in drills has paid off in a big way.
“They’re coming along just like we wanted,’’ Collins said. “[Friday] was a big step forward for Matt. Jake is throwing well, Noah is throwing well and he has been sick as a dog the last two times out. Steven was very good today. Right in the row right now I kind of like where we stand.
“The fact we kept those guys from throwing so much, and not worrying about fielding bunts and throwing to first, we cut back on all that throwing.’’
Matz has made changes in his offseason routine — the way he trains, his throwing program — he believes will unlock the door to success by keeping him healthy.
You have to learn as you go, and Matz has learned some most valuable lessons.
The lefty is learning to hit the outside corner more. Because he has a big fastball, he pounds the ball inside on hitters, but he is learning to go away more often. Establish inside, finish them off away.
Last season, lefty batters hit .269 against Matz while right-handers hit .253. He should have more success against lefties, but he wasn’t able to paint away as well as he should have. He also got hurt leaving too many hittable changeups over the plate.
“It feels really good to be in a routine already,’’ Matz said of the starting staff. “I really like the way they have progressed us this year. The injuries were tough. I want to be out there and pitch. Right now I’m just happy where I am physically.
“Every time they call my name I want to take the ball. That’s the goal for this year, just to look for the next start. That’s what I want to do.’’
There is no World Series hangover this year, either, but Matz was not about to use that as an excuse, saying, “I felt really good physically after the [2015] World Series.’’
If these Mets starters stay healthy, there may be another World Series run in them.