On Saturday, May 4, 2024, Christian Scott made his Major League Baseball debut for the New York Mets against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Scott, 24, was ranked fifth among team prospects and No. 1 for pitching, and he went out there and looked dominant. Despite a rough first inning, he looked sharp ever since, posting a 1.35 ERA by going 6.2 innings with six strikeouts in Saturday’s game.
The purpose of the Mets calling up Scott relates to Adrian Houser, who was a starting pitcher in the rotation but is now going to the bullpen until further notice. After Scott pitched in a 3-1 loss to the Rays on Saturday, Mets fans should feel good about this young guy and what he brings to the table. Here are a few ways on how exactly he fits well in the Mets starting pitching rotation from this point on.
Why Christian Scott is a Good Fit for Mets Rotation
His Command
Scott demonstrated his command ability very well against the Rays on Saturday. What that means is the pitches he was throwing resulted in outs, at least for the most part. That helped him make it to the seventh inning, and, unfortunately, he left in the middle of the inning let alone get a no-decision in that game. However, you have to be impressed with his command and how good he can throw.
His Resilience
This is something that Scott demonstrated very early in the game. He started showing his resilience right after the first three Rays batters reached base safely in this first inning, and they all resulted from base hits. The next batter was Randy Arozarena, who Scott struck out. Then it was Harold Ramírez who grounded into a double play to end the inning.
There was also another critical moment in Saturday’s game where Scott practiced this very important life concept. That was toward the end of his outing. There was a runner on third base in the fifth inning with two outs, and Scott was able to strike out Jose Siri to end that inning and keep the game tied.
If Scott can continue to practice resilience in any given situation on the mound, it will only help him in the future.
He Could Replace Houser for the Long-Term
After Saturday’s game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Scott will get another start. And rightfully so because he earned it. However, we don’t officially know yet whether or not he’ll replace Houser in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Houser has been struggling quite a bit, and with what we’ve seen from Scott so far, it might be worth replacing Houser.
If that does turn out to be the case, chances are that it will benefit the Mets moving forward. There haven’t been many games so far this year where a Mets starter goes more than seven innings. Scott is one of the few pitchers on this roster who at least got to the seventh inning and even was close to completing it. Of course, we’ll see how it all plays out, but this is a legit possibility.
How Good can Scott be in the Future?
We all know by now that it’s just one start for Scott. Therefore, it’s kind of hard to have a definitive answer as to how good he will be moving forward. However, he has what it takes to be successful in the big leagues. That makes you wonder about his skills and athleticism. As of now, Scott is in line to pitch sometime in the upcoming home series against the Atlanta Braves. Only time will tell if he can be consistently dominant and lead the Mets to more wins.
Main Image: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
