Question: Which starting pitcher from the NL East do you fear most, i.e., the guy from an opposing team who you do not want to see on the mound in a big game?
Craig Strain, Marlins, from Fish Stripes: Jamie “Freaking” Moyer. Oh sure, the Marlins can look silly sometimes when facing Johan Santana’s change up, but it is nothing compared to the way they look against Moyer. Moyer has made 12 starts in his career against the Fish and he is 11-1. When Moyer is on the mound it looks like a Bugs Bunny cartoon, he throws that slow left-handed junk and the Marlins swing three times before it gets to the plate. It is 
embarrassing.
Edward Chigliak, Nationals, from Federal Baseball: Who wants to face Johan Santana with something on the line? But, the pitcher I’d like to avoid, as much as I like watching him pitch, is Cole Hamels, who has K’d 83 Nationals in 79.1 IP against DC in the first three years of his career, and though he’s only 5-3, he’s posted a 2.04 ERA in 12 starts.
Jason Weitzel, Phillies, of Beerleaguer: I’d have to go with Johan Santana head-to-head. The Phillies are very left-handed.
Martin Gandy, Braves, from Talking Chop: Believe it or not it’s Oliver Perez. That guy has the Braves number. I firmly believe that’s the reason the Mets re-signed him.
Matthew Cerrone, Mets, from MetsBlog.com: I know I am going to regret this, but, right now, there isn’t any one specific pitcher from the NL East who I fear seeing face the Mets. I’d say Cole Hamels, based on my gut, but the Mets are actually 3–1 against him. For a solid decade it was Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz; and since nothing in the division compares to them, I have a hard time coming up with one name.
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Matt, these posts are EXTREMELY interesting! Thanks!
Matt,
How dare you not pick a pitcher? The obvious answer is any pitcher that has pitched against the Mets on the last game of the season.
The Mets have stunk in up in their choke jobs in both 2007 and 2008 against mediocre pitchers. Enough said.
:)
Bruce Hurst! Mike Scott!
I agree with Matt, the division does not have that one guy the Mets can’t hit right now.
Josh Johnson might be the guy for me.
The most feared pitcher in the NL East is the one pitching against the Mets, that day, in the final few weeks of the season. Whether its Cole Hamels or Mike Bascik…it shouldn’t matter. The guy on the mound that day is the most fearsome and the one the Mets should take seriously.
agreed and that was the problem the last two seasons. Those pitchers BECAME feared and important because the last week of the season WAS important. I dont think that will be the case this year with the team/bullpen we got imo.
Agreed. Would love to see the Mets clinch the division and eliminate Philly completely by September 13…AT PHILLY. That would make the last 2 years a bit more palatable.
agreed. Im thinking something like 06 again…good times
Jaime Moyer. Doesnt he have some kind of streak like hes gone at least 6 innings?
For some reason, I seem to remember that we cannot touch Jamie Moyer. Does anybody know Moyer’s record vs. the Mets since he’s been wearing a Phillies uniform?
If I had to say just one, it would be Moyer. Although whoever is on the mound that given day is the toughest.
theres a couple of guys that come to mind but definatly hamels/hudson/moyer/blanton. The worst part is i think before the years out, we will add nolasco to that list or somone from the fish
also, any rookie, or pitcher we’ve never seen before. we make those guys look like Cy Young himself.
Very true. I swear – last year, every time we were facing some team’s rookie they put out there, we thought we had it in the bag – NOT!!
lol @ your name..good stuff
your right, i remember the first time we faced lannon from the nats. We couldnt hit him for anything…
To me, it’s Josh Johnson. I don’t know the numbers off the top of my head, but the Mets always seem to struggle against him.
its gotta be the marlins Josh Johnson for me. that man can pitch.
Its gotta be the Marlins rotation. I know we have fared well in general, but they have so many young pitchers that throw hard and confident, it seems we struggle a lot against them.
Johnson and Nolasco, watch out.
Johnson, Nolasco… AND Anibal Sanchez. The Marlin arms vex me. I’m terribly Marlin-vexed.
Oliver Perez is the scariest SP in the NL east. for us mets. He might score 6 runs for the other team before we even get a chance to bat…
The NL East teams are the only teams he can beat!!
true true but the Marlins and the Nats beat him up too i think
Nobody can beat Ollie…he can only beat himself…
Daniel Cabrera’s line today,
6 IP 7 H 5 ER 2 BB 4 Ks.
Glad the Mets stayed away from him.
Emilio Bonafacio for MVP? The guys on fire LOL
Timmy Linceum yesterday:
3 IP 3 ER 3 BB 5 K
are you glad he’s not on the mets?
Timmy wouldnt have been one of Omars projects.
Yea I mean, it’s def too early to say “glad we stayed away from him” I mean, com’n. One start?
Does anyone really think CC will continue being bad. He was atrocious all of April in 2008 and looked what that did to him.
Lincecum, I think I have a man-crush on him. He just intrigues me so much. Doesn’t even ice his arm!
you know i wanted him to be our utility infielder this coming season.
he reminds me a lot of Endy just and infielder version
Jurgens shut us down last season but that was 1 year, and I’m not scared of him by any means. I know the answer isn’t Cole Hamels.. there’s an absolute fight at the bat rack in the Mets dugout when we face him.
I’d go with any number 5 spot starting rookie and/or journeyman type pitcher.
yes! agreed. We face someone the for the first time and we make them look like a star in the making.
Exactly my thought as well!
I gues-s Chan Ho Park is gonna be an ace against us…no seriously, it could happen.
I remember him shutting us down a few years ago when he was with San Diego.
actually what am I talking about….the most feared pitcher is the guy that Team X in the NL East called up from AAA to start a game in place of their usual starter.
Matt, I love the confidence. I dont fear any pitcher in this division either. Cole Hauser comes the closest, but he is beatable for sure
I have to say that the pitcher the Mets should fear the most is definitely Jamie Moyer. That guy has the Mets’ number. He may be 46 but somehow he can master the Mets really well. That’s why I was very upset that the Phillies resigned him. I really hate it when the Mets face him because he will pitch well and for many innings.
Each time Moyer faces the Mets, it finally seems like they have his number – guys reach base against him, but when it comes to the point where one more Met hit will finish off Moyer, he is able to hold his ground, and make his pitch..it is very frustrating to watch.
Jaime Moyer, career vs. Mets:
7-4, 2.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .246 BA against.
(Jamie Moyer, career vs. everybody: 4.19 ERA, 1.32, .267 BA against.)
He’s like the Pat Burrell of pitchers.
Sidd Finch
“Jason Weitzel, Phillies, of Beerleaguer: I’d have to go with Johan Santana head-to-head. The Phillies are very left-handed.”
Like that would make a difference Weitzel. He’s the best pitcher in baseball against lefties, righties, or anyone else. Psssss.
I wonder how Lowe will do against us and how many we will have to face him. He looked great against Philly.
This used to be a no-brainer. John Smoltz (complete with his in-game Fox interviews). Now I’d say, believe it or not, Brett Myers.
Yep. The Mets definitely resigned Ollie for his career 6-4 record against the Braves. Interestingly, the only NL teams he has not won against are SF (0-5) and PIT (0-3), and his best record is against the Yanks (5-1).
Let see if I can post this in the right place this time:
I’m just happy as hell Arthur Rhodes isn’t in the division anymore. He shut us down at several important junctures last season.
While his numbers aren’t good, I have bad memories of Anibal Sanchez, and Jair Jurgens seemingly does well against us.
Second that (Jrrr Jrrjnns). He’s tougher each time he faces us.
The Marlins response is hilarious, so funny and true, and I love the reference to the bugs bunny cartoon.
I guess this doesn’t apply to all soft tossing lefties though, does it (“cough* glavine *cough*)
Luckily the Phils have gotten rid of him, bad Adam Eaton absolutely has had the Mets number over the years. Not sure how…either..
I wanted to respond that the most feared pitcher is whoever we face on game 162 but it seems I am a day late and a dollar short on that one.
Thanks, Matt, for all of these posts… especially right now. I can’t wait for 7PM to roll around — the first game of the season and then an off-day is a cruel tease. It’s interesting to read how fans of other teams respond to the same questions.
As a METS FAN I fear any Rookie pitcher with a high ERA that has never faced the METS. I also fear Tom Glavine, he’s DA BOMB :}
2009 , There will never be a better time. LETS GO METS !!!
LOL… that’s really funny on rookie pitchers..
Javier Vazquez career vs. Mets:
141 IP, 3.25 ERA, 4.34 K/BB
Hmm… I’d fear that guy. And he’s on the Braves.
What???
The answer as a Mets fan is Josh Johnson. With honorable mentions to Cole Hamels and Ricky Nolasco.
I sure am glad we have the best pitcher in baseball.
Yeah me too.. What’s CC and Lincy doing now??
I know this is our division only, but Suppan is up there too…
Santana had 28 Quality Starts last year. Picking any pitcher other than him is insane.
I don’t know how every other team didn’t pick Johan, he is like a Venezualan Jesus, bro.
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