Marcus Stroman Showed His Former Mets Team Why They Dropped The Ball Letting Him Walk

Marcus Stroman is an athlete, an entertainer, author and a fashion icon, and again on Wednesday, he was a dominant pitcher.

After pitching in 44 games in New York from 2019-2021, this was just the second meeting between Stroman and the Mets. The first was on July 16 where he threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks. He got the best of his former club in Wednesday’s 4-2 win in Chicago.

 

 

Stroman tossed eight innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while fanning three batters. Although he has only struck out over five batters in just four games this season, Stroman’s efficiency has helped keep his pitch count down, as he’s thrown over 90 pitches in just six outings in 2023. 

 

Of his 88 pitches, just 29 were balls, and of his 59 strikes, only 22 balls were put in play, and 82% (18) of those were outs.

 

The MLBbro earned his fourth win of the season, bringing him to an even 4-4, and his ninth quality start of the year out of his 11 games pitched. Stroman leads the league in quality starts.

 

Through 64 innings pitched, tied for seventh in the Majors, the 32-year-old stands at a 2.95 ERA, and his impressive outing against the Mets only furthered the discussion that father time is years away from catching up to the right-hander. 

 

Stroman even helped himself, showing his athleticism in the top of the 6th. After allowing a leadoff single to Francisco Alvarez, Brandon Nimmo hit a dribbler back to the mound, which Stroman quickly induced into a 1-6-3 double play to keep his tension to a minimum.

An emphatic celebration from the Gold Glover gave fans a reminder of the energy that he brings to the game. Stroman got Francisco Lindor to ground out on the very next pitch to end the inning.

Fans can typically see a durag poking underneath Stroman’s cap, but he must’ve wanted to show off the fresh wash as his mini-fro was in full effect. 

 

The MLBbro is chasing the best full season of his career and his second All-Star game appearance in the Majors and first since 2019. He’s doing so by leading a Cubs team that relies on its rotation to keep games close for the timely hit to present itself.

“We’re very, very nasty,” Stroman said of Chicago’s rotation. “We have different looks. Everyone kind of has a different repertoire being thrown at you every five days. No one’s similar, essentially. I love our mix. I feel like we have the type of group that can continue to get stronger as the year goes on.”