While the impact of a 2-inning start in spring training is limited, if Sunday was an indication of things to come, Jose Butto plans on making the most of whatever time he has.
In Sunday’s exhibition game against the Houston Astros, the Mets right-handed starter yielded just 3 singles in his 2 innings of work, striking out one batter and not walking any. For Butto, it was something of a continuation of the groundwork he laid a bit last season. For the Mets, it was a reminder that, at least for now, it really will be a 3-man competition for the 5th starter role.
Over the weekend the Mets gave an update on #1 starter Kodai Senga’s shoulder condition. The Mets conceded that they plan on taking Senga’s recovery and preparation slowly and it will likely not be until the very end of April, or even into May, until he throws his first pitch of the regular season. This immediately prompted the question of who will replace his spot in the starting rotation. While it’s seemingly open to any Mets starter, Tylor Megill (Saturday’s starter), Jose Butto, and Joey Lucchesi seem like the most obvious candidates.
Butto is the youngest (he’ll turn 26 in a month) and least experienced (8 major league starts) of the three. He had two stints with the Mets last season, in April-May, and in August-October. His earlier go-round was serviceable, as he had a 3.00 ERA over 12 innings in 2 starts and 1 relief appearance. While he was able to limit the runs scored against him, he was unable to limit his walks, with 11 in 12 innings. He also gave up 10 hits over those innings. While he showed some good stuff in that limited stint, he also showed he wasn’t quite ready for primetime.
When Butto returned in August, he had a somewhat adjusted approach. His first appearance, a relief outing against the Pirates, was not especially inspiring, as he gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks over 2.1 innings. From that point on though, Butto was one of the team’s most reliable starters, in relative terms. In five September starts and one October start, Butto went 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA, and most importantly for him, walked just 9 over 27 innings. In fact, most of the damage during that time came in a single inning against the Phillies on September 24th.
Of the three Mets pitchers seemingly in competition for the 5th spot in the rotation, Jose Butto may have the highest hill to climb. Still, with two solid innings already under his belt this preseason, it’s reasonable to hope that Butto’s ascent is just beginning.
