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ANALYSIS: It's fair to be skeptical of any Mets pitcher nowadays, but so far so good for Zack Wheeler this season. Wheeler hadn't pitched in the majors for two whole seasons until coming back in 2017. While it hasn't been perfect, there are some encouraging signs in his return from arm troubles. Wheeler currently sports a 4.18 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across six starts. His strikeout numbers are just league-average while his 3.9% BB% is slightly higher. The good news is that his low strand rate (69.8% LOB) should rise a bit, especially if he keeps inducing ground balls at such a high rate (55.6% GB%). Unlike Thor and the Dark Knight, Wheeler has never been the type of pitcher to blow hitters away. Pitching to contact may prove effective for him in Citi Field, however, especially once the Mets call up Amed Rosario and get Yoenis Cespedes back from injury.
Wheeler had a rough go of it in his first two starts of the season, but has settled down since then, allowing one run in each of his last two starts. Tonight will be a true test as he pitches in a hitter-friendly venue at Arizona. If he can tame the D-backs bats, it will be a sign that he is worth picking up in a majority of mixed leagues.
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