The 2012 season is just over two months away for the Binghamton Mets. Less than that, when you consider spring training is just weeks away.
One of the biggest losses on the New York Mets roster in 2011 may turn out to be a big gain for the B-Mets in 2012.
When New York traded Carlos Beltran in July, one player they received in return was right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler finished with a record of 9-7 with a 3.52 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 115 innings between Class-A Advanced San Jose and St. Lucie last season. The 21-year-old made six starts in the Florida State League after joining the Mets, and is expected to move up to Double-A Binghamton in 2012.
Binghamton finished the 2011 season with a record of 65-76, good for fifth place in the East division of the Eastern League.
The B-Mets finished 10th in the 12 team league in pitching, with a team ERA of 4.47.
The only starting pitcher to reach 10 wins for Binghamton was Brandon Moore, who was 10-8 in 26 games (25 starts), with an ERA of 4.47. Brad Holt was 8-8, but had a 4.71 in 13 starts, and Collin McHugh had eight wins and a 2.89 ERA in 18 games (16 starts)
There was significant drop-off after those guys, whether it was a starter or reliever.
Despite the presence of some big prospects in the rotation last year including Jeurys Familia, who was 4-4 with a 3.49 in 17 starts, Matt Harvey, who made 12 starts and was 5-3, but his ERA was 4.53 and Robert Carson, another arm that came with a lot of promise, the team just never found answers on the mound.
Carson struggled to a 4-11 record in 24 starts in 2011, with an ERA of 5.05.
In short, this Binghamton staff, despite a lot of promising arms, had a very forgettable season. A pitcher the caliber of Wheeler will certainly be a welcomed edition.
Wheeler was part of a Q&A session with MiLB.com. He talks about his goals for 2012 and the different pitches he’s been working on.
The Binghamton Mets have not made the playoffs since 2004 and though one pitcher does not a team make, the addition of Wheeler coupled with the hope that with another year of experience for top prospects such as Harvey, Familia and Carson would certainly give the fans reason to believe that the team could break that drought in 2012.
The regular season gets underway April 5th at NYSEG stadium, when Binghamton hosts Akron at 6:35 PM.
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