Friday Mets Prospectus: D-Backs preview, Hefner numbers

Let me start off by saying that you should stop reading this article right now and go see The Avengers. The last 40 minutes of that film are the '86 game six of super hero cinema. Also as a Dodgers fan from the 40's it would be a safe bet that upon being awoken from an icicle in the arctic for 60 years Captain America would acclimate himself to his new world and become a Mets fan, all the more reason.

Kirk Gibson and his D-Backs come to Citi this weekend. Let's take a look at what we are up against.

Friday night we face Wade Miley currently the owner of an excellent 1.29/3.83 ERA/xFIP. Wade has only started two games and was brilliant both times taking a no no to the sixth against the Marlins last week. Let's hope the Mets can shake the rookie up a bit.

Next up is Patrick Corbin who is not so good at pitching. He is a strike out machine with a k/9 of 9.5. Fortunately he is also a walk machine (bb/9 4.76) and gives up a home runs pretty easily (hr/9 1.59). These numbers are only based on one start but they are indicative of his career numbers through the minors, expect his k/9 which is about 3 SO lower.

Trevor Cahill pitches on Sunday. Trevor is having a good year so far with an ERA/xFIP of 3.13/3.57. What is there to say about Trevor Cahill? He is a good pitcher in a very generic sense. His numbers all read like the numbers of a good pitcher, he throws almost nothing bust fastballs and change ups. He is neither spectacular nor average. He might be the most boringly generic good pitcher in baseball right now.

Justin Upton has been catching shit this year for not playing like Matt Kemp but it putting together a nice season and is a guy the Mets need to keep off base. He has an OBP of .348 this year and had 5 stolen bases. Also this is your former Met alert to keep an eye open for Henry Blanco.

As a squad the D-Backs have the same record as the Mets: 13-13. They have scored 114 and given up 110.

Finally we have been hearing a lot of chatter giving the cursed #4 rotation spot to Jeremy Hefner. I have no idea whether or not he is related to Hugh, but let's assume he is. Let's take a look at the Zips projections for Hef:

IP	ERA	FIP	k/9	bb/9
113	5.26	4.72	5.58	3.58

Projections are wrong all the time. Let's hope these are.