Projecting Mets 2020 Starting Rotation

The New York Mets are a new-look team entering the 2020 season, led by recently-anointed skipper Luis Rojas, who stepped in and replaced Carlos Beltran amid the sign-stealing scandal which cost him and three others their jobs.

Well, following a disappointing 2019 campaign, the Mets are vying to return to the postseason this time around. Their pitching rotation will play a significant role in the team's success this year, and after a few offseason acquisitions there are many questions to be answered, particularly in the back-end.

Here's how the Mets' 2020 rotation projects to play out.

5. Rick Porcello

Former Boston Red Sox starter Rick Porcello / Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

The Mets brought aboard Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha this offseason, both of whom are expected to be utilized as starters. That creates a bit of a logjam for the Mets, and one of them will likely wind up pitching out of the bullpen. Porcello, however, may hold the upper-edge, considering he's making $10 million to Wacha's $3 million.

4. Steven Matz

New York Mets SP Steven Matz / Rob Leiter/Getty Images

Matz wasn't a world-beater by any means last year, but outside of a few disastrous outings he had a solid season. In 2019, Matz had a 4.21 ERA and struck out 153 batters in 160.1 innings while making 30 starts. Having been a mainstay in the Mets' rotation for the past two seasons, it's hard to envision Matz not being on the staff this year.

3. Marcus Stroman

New York Mets SP Marcus Stroman / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Mets tried to make a big splash last season by acquiring Marcus Stroman amid their playoff push. While the results weren't what they were hoping for, Stroman will return to Flushing for the 2020 season. As a Met last year, the 28-year-old logged 11 starts, posted a 3.77 ERA and struck out 60 batters in 59.2 innings.

2. Noah Syndergaard

New York Mets SP Noah Syndergaard / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Thor was frequently brought up in trade rumors last year, but through it all, he remains a member of the Mets. Now he'll look for a bounce-back year in 2020 after recording a career-worst 4.28 ERA last year. The strikeouts were still there for him, however, as he whiffed 202 in 197.2 innings. He'll be a pivotal member of the Mets' rotation in 2020.

1. Jacob deGrom

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Who else would enter the year as the Mets' ace? A winner of back-to-back NL Cy Young awards, there's hardly a pitcher in baseball who comes close to deGrom's level of dominance. In 2019, the 31-year-old had a sterling 2.43 ERA with 255 strikeouts in 204 innings, posting a 7.9 WAR. He'll be looking to do much of the same in 2020 as the face of the Mets.