New York Mets: 5 Reasons Their Rotation Is Superior to the Yankees

Entering the season, the New York Yankees were lauded for their starting rotation depth while the New York Mets were mocked.

As the 2012 season has entered its second month, it is becoming clear that the level of talent may not be quite what was expected.

Obviously, the Yankees took a huge hit with the loss of the newly acquired Michael Pineda, but the Mets lost Mike Pelfrey for the season as well.

Thus far, the Mets have the advantage in the starting rotation. While it is still very early in the season, that will not change as the season progresses. Here are five reasons why.

No. 5: Lack of Progression of Phil Hughes

Once upon a time, Phil Hughes was drawing comparisons to Roger Clemens by former league MVPs.

Six years and two significant injuries later, he is now searching for answers and trying to regain his velocity, which is no longer viewed as elite.

It was clear that this season would be a big one in terms of Hughes' development. After his successful transition to the bullpen in 2009, and back to the rotation once again in 2010, Hughes has not been the same since the All-Star break in 2010.

Last season he suffered a shoulder injury, which limited him to 74 innings with a 5.79 ERA. This season he is 1-4 with a 7.48 ERA.

Is it lingering effects of the injury? Or perhaps his unfathomable 7.71 ERA when ahead in the count?

Regardless, the Yankees' rotation looks much thinner with the sub-par performances from their fallen prospect.

No. 4: The Mets Staff Is More Reliable Than They Are Given Credit for

While it may not appear so, the New York Mets have received solid performances from their starting pitching. The numbers are negatively skewed from the dreadful outings of Chris Schwinden, who was sent to Triple-A.

The Mets have received 16 quality starts from their pitchers. Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey have combined to form a solid if not spectacular 1-2 punch. They have each had one sub-par outing but have been magnificent in their other starts.

Jon Niese and Dillon Gee are young starters that have been susceptible to big innings, but they have shown visible growth over their young careers. They seem to project as No. 3 or 4 type starters, but if the Mets can continue to get fantastic performances from their two horses, then their production is more than sufficient.

It was obviously a hit to lose Mike Pelfrey for the season, considering his durability, but his production is not overwhelmingly positive.

If the Mets can receive at least league-average production from Pelfrey's replacement, then they will be able to hang around in the NL East.

It appears that Chris Young will be ready sooner than later to make his season debut. If he can stay healthy for even a portion of the season, it will be a huge boost. He pitched four games last season and was very effective in each start, averaging 8.3 K/9 and 4.5 H/9.

The Mets may bring up one of their stud pitching prospects later on in the season, but for the near future, they will hope that the quartet of Santana, Dickey, Niese and Gee can continue to perform well and that Chris Young will step in and join that group soon.

No. 3: The League and Home-Park Factor

In the past, these factors have not mattered much because the Mets pitching was not talented enough to get out high school hitters consistently.

Now it is becoming more relevant as the talent is more comparable.

It is no secret that it is more difficult to pitch in the American League. The presence of the designated hitter creates more depth in the lineups. The 2011 American League ERA was 4.08 as opposed to 3.81 in the National League.

The American League East is arguably the best division in baseball, as it sent two teams to the postseason once again in 2011. The Yankees have a tough task facing the potent lineups of Toronto, Tampa Bay and Boston 19 times per year.

They also have the misfortunes of pitching in Yankee Stadium 81 games per year, as opposed to Citi Field. According to Park Factor, which is calculated by dividing the runs scored per game at home by the runs per game on the road, Yankee Stadium ranked 15th while Citi Field is 29th.

The Mets play in the incredibly balanced division of the NL East, but one that features some dreadful offenses at the current time.

Believe it or not, the Mets are the second highest scoring offense in the NL East and were first last season. The Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals rank 10th, 13th and 14th in the National League, respectively.

The Mets' pitching staff certainly has a distinct advantage in two important categories, which will benefit their statistics.

No. 2: The Presence of Johan Santana

The success of the Mets this season was extremely reliant on the health of two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana. Without Johan, the Mets stood no chance in the balanced NL East. With him, they appear much more formidable.

Johan has missed significant time since coming to the Mets just before spring training in 2008. He missed the end of the 2009 season, which cost him about nine starts. He also got injured in 2010, which cost him about five starts that season and the entire 2011 season.

Ironically, the Mets have been much more competitive when Johan has been active. I don't think it's a coincidence.

The presence of Johan has given the Mets a huge boost. Every fifth day, he takes pressure off the bullpen as he generally completes seven innings. For example, in 2009 he retired 21 or more batters in 15 of his 25 starts and failed to complete six innings only three times.

This has a lingering effect on the bullpen. They are able to conserve arms virtually twice per week, enabling the reliable bullpen arms to stay fresh.

In addition, Johan has been known for his leadership ability, which has elevated the performances of younger pitchers when he is active as opposed to on the disabled list.

When Johan is at full strength, the Mets are a better team—not just when he is on the mound, but when he is around the team.

As long as Johan is anchoring the rotation, the Mets will remain competitive as they were in 2009 and 2010 prior to his injuries.

No. 1: The Depth of the Yankees Has Been Curtailed

The Yankees were lauded for their rotation depth entering the season.

That was on the assumption that CC Sabathia would be a lock for 20 wins, Kuroda would smoothly transition to the American League, Michael Pineda would improve on the success of his rookie season, Phil Hughes would bounce back from his disappointing 2011, Freddy Garcia would provide serviceable quality and Andy Pettitte would fill in when ready.

Those expectations have been tempered already with the loss of Pineda for the season, the disastrous beginning to Hughes' season, Kuroda's struggles and Garcia's demotion to the bullpen.

The Yankees ranked 29th in the Majors in quality starts with eight. Basically, they have received six-plus innings of three runs or fewer from their starters once every four games. That's not going to get it done.

The return of Andy Pettitte should definitely benefit the team, but he is no spring chicken.

The Yankees also have the ballyhooed pitching prospects Manny Benuelos and Dellin Betances waiting in the wings, but they must refine their command in Triple-A for the foreseeable future.

While the Yankees certainly have arms that have postseason experience and talent, the perception of their rotation has changed due to performances and injuries already.