The Mets plan to start Max Scherzer in Game 1 of their Wild-Card series against the Padres and — in their best-case scenario — are considering a strategy to not use Jacob deGrom at all in this round. It’s reminiscent of a ploy used by Buck Showalter in 1995 when he made the playoffs for the first time as a manager with the Yankees.
If that plan is used, Scherzer would start Friday night’s opener and — if the Mets win and therefore don’t face elimination Saturday — Chris Bassitt would start Game 2.
If the Mets lose Game 1, the strategy would be to throw deGrom in Game 2 to try to avoid elimination. If the Mets win Game 1, but then lose Game 2, deGrom will start Game 3 in an attempt to salvage their season.
But if the Mets were to sweep the Padres in two games, deGrom would be lined up to start Games 1 and 5 against the Dodgers in the Division Series. This strategy is designed to ensure that Scherzer and deGrom would start in the Wild-Card Round should the Mets ever face a playoff game while simultaneously trying, at best, to maximize their chances of winning more than the Wild. -Card Round. .
The Mets have not released a final decision on how to approach these games. They could still follow what seemed like the plan from when Scherzer signed last offseason — start him and deGrom back to back if the team made the playoffs; with all indicators currently being that Scherzer is starting the opener no matter what. Both Scherzer and deGrom are available on extra rest to open the series against San Diego.
If they go with the strategy of tossing Scherzer in Game 1 wildcard and, with a win, then going with Bassitt in Game 2, you can expect the Mets not to publicly state the primary reason; at least not in real time. Because no Mets official would ever want their players to hear them say they don’t believe the Mets can beat the (by far) best performing team in the majors unless deGrom is available to start games 1 and 5 at Dodger Stadium while having Scherzer for Game 2 and potentially a relief spot in Game 5 against Los Angeles.
So you have to fathom Showalter’s story, because it in many ways reflects what he faced in 1995 as manager of the Yankees.
That year, Showalter ace David Cone won on September 27, throwing three days off for the first time in five years. There was a bye on September 28, and the Yankees played the final three games in Toronto with a one-game lead over the Angels for the only AL wildcard slot (it was the wildcard’s first season).
Jack McDowell, like Cone a former Cy Young winner, hadn’t started since Sept. 21 due to a strained back muscle. Showalter felt McDowell needed more time to be at his best, but would have used it this past weekend if the Yankees were eliminated. Showalter made the decision that he would only use Cone for three days off Sunday as well if the Yankees were eliminated or Monday if they needed to play a playoff game against the Angels to salvage the season.
Why did he do this? In Real Time, Showalter talked about trusting all of his starters, as he almost certainly will if the Mets start Bassitt in Game 2.
But as 1995 slipped further and further, Yankees officials would come to admit they didn’t think the Yankees stood much of a chance against the Mariners’ deadly roster in a best-of-five split series unless that Cone only starts Games 1 and 5 while McDowell was available for a start and maybe a relief assist in Game 5 (if needed) in Seattle.
The Yankees and Angels both won Friday and Saturday, keeping the Yankees by one game. So Showalter had Sterling Hitchcock start the game 162 rather than Cone on a short rest to try and clinch. The Yankees beat the Blue Jays, so it didn’t matter what the Angels did (they won) because the Yankees had sealed their first playoff spot since 1981.
The way the playoffs worked then was a two-three format. The Yankees won the first two games at home, including Game 1 behind Cone. McDowell lost Game 3 and Seattle also won Game 4. So Cone started the decisive Game 5 and pitched gallantly before walking in the tying run in the eighth inning. Showalter brought in the only effective reliever he had in this series, a rookie named Mariano Rivera to come out of the eighth and get the first out of the ninth. But Rivera wasn’t Rivera yet — at least not in the fulfillment or full understanding of what he’d be next year.
Showalter therefore pulled Rivera and turned to McDowell, who came out in the ninth inning but gave up the game-winning two-run brace to Edgar Martinez to eliminate the Yankees in what would be Showalter’s last game as manager. .
Now Showalter has two former Cy Young winners again. He has a series of divisions looming against an offensive powerhouse. He and the Mets are trying to figure out how to maximize their chances of winning everything, not just a Wild-Card Round.
So, one strategy that has been considered is one that Showalter already managed over a quarter of a century ago.
