New York Mets' Pitching Delivers in 2009

This is going to be a much tougher NL East with pitching dominating in 2009.

The Mets, on paper, are the team with the best rotation in the division. You have an ace like Johan Santana who is as tough as they come. Pelfrey will be in the second slot, followed by Perez and Maine. The fifth slot will be open competition this spring between Freddie Garcia, Niese, Redding,and possibly the return of Pedro Martinez.

Pelfrey came into his own once the Mets were in dire straits with El Duque out for the year. Originally, Pelfrey was not even considered to be in the rotation in 2008. He was said to have a lot of potential but never seemed to jump that hurdle until last year. Now he is considered a major player in the rotation.

The question remains with Oliver Perez. Will he be a more consistent pitcher in 2009? Perez was more like a Bi-polar pitcher when it came to figuring out which Perez was going to pitch. He can be electrifying one day and a total dumpster fire the next. Dan Warthen replace Rick Peterson and slightly changed Perez delivery.

This made him more consistent and able to last longer. Still, his pitch count stayed high and he had to be removed by the fifth, sixth, or seventh inning and put more pressure on the bullpen.

John Maine has been as consistent as they get. He is an innings eater and good velocity and movement on his pitches. He like to work quickly and this allows the defense to stay on their toes. Doctors discovered a bone spur in his right shoulder and had to be shut down.

This hurt the Mets during their run and Maine was missed.

The fifth slot will be up for grabs. Look for Redding to be the favorite after signing for 2.25 million. Even with that, he is not guaranteed a spot. Niese has a good 12 to 6 curveball but was noticed to change his delivery when throwing the curve. Pedro may be too expensive to sign and put in the fifth slot.

Pedro should be fully recovered from his surgery and may have a stronger arm than what he had the last two years. This year's Met pitching looks stronger and younger. The sleeper here maybe be Parnell who will more likely be in the bullpen. He may very well be this year's Pelfrey.

I believe the Mets have the edge in pitching even with the Braves signing Lowe and the Phillies coming back with the same rotation. The Marlins are young and inexperienced but with another year under their belts they stand to cause problems in the division. The Nats are just trying to find their identity.

Being young, they will be inconsistent throughout the year.

I hope with the additions of K-Rod and Putz, it will give this Met rotation a more relaxed attitude and perform well.