The New York Mets pounded the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series Friday night and will look to even the series at 2-2 Saturday night. In an interesting pitching matchup, 36-year-old Chris Young will face off against 24-year-old Steven Matz.
We’ll identify three keys to Saturday night’s game in the article below. Will Matz follow Noah Syndergaard‘s blueprint of pitching the Royals tough inside? How do the Mets match up with against Young and his lack of ground-ball contact? Will the Mets be able to make good use of their bench advantage?
Make sure to stir up the conversation in the comment section below. What do you think is important for each team to be successful in Game 4? Mets and Royals fans: What’s your confidence level heading into the pivotal game?
Let’s dive in!
Can Steven Matz Pitch Inside Effectively?
In Game 3, Noah Syndergaard established himself on the inner half of the plate early in the contest. The ethics of his strategy have been questioned, but its effectiveness can not.
“My first words to Travis (d’Arnaud) when we walked in the clubhouse today were, ‘How do you feel about high and tight for the first pitch and then a curveball for the second one,'” Syndergaard told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. “So I feel like it really made a statement to start the game off — that you guys can’t dig in and get too aggressive because I’ll come in there.”
Syndergaard‘s plan of being the aggressor worked in Game 3, and it’s a blueprint that Matz must follow in Game 4. It’s particularly important against left-handed hitters, as Matz was great at limiting contact on the inner half to same-sided hitters this year.
Matz, while arguably just as nasty, isn’t as reliant on velocity as his fellow rotation-mates. He normally sits in the mid-90s and throws his nasty curve ball whether he’s ahead or behind in the count. The Royals have feasted on high velocity in this series but will have to readjust their strategy in Game 4.
What Can We Expect From Chris Young?
The Mets are a patient team by nature, ranking 25th in chase rate this past season. That willingness to lay off bad pitches resulted in the lowest first-pitch strike percentage in baseball.
That will come in handy against Young. The right-hander’s entire game is predicated on generating soft contact because he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he once did.
Young had success in 2015 being predominately just a two-pitch pitcher. He throws his fastball the majority of the time, never breaking 90 mph this season. His slider has a 13 mph range to it, so he’s going to try to keep Mets hitters guessing throughout the night.
A surprising note on Young is his lack of ground-ball outs. The 36-year-old ranked dead last in MLB in ground-ball rate among pitchers with at least 120 innings. New York ranked fifth in fly-ball rate, so there could be plenty of opportunities for the Mets to drive the ball against Young.
Will the Mets Take Advantage of Their Bench Advantage?
It makes sense that the National League team would have the better of the two benches in this series. With the series shifting to Citi Field and NL rules, the Mets can take advantage of that.
The Royals are already behind the eight ball, having to sit out Kendrys Morales and his 106 RBI due to the lack of the designated hitter. Morales gives the Royals a solid pinch-hitting option, but the light-hitting Raul Mondesi Jr. and Jarrod Dyson won’t scare Mets pitchers late in games.
The Mets, on the other hand, are loaded with proven veterans who can help off the bench. Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe have experience entering games in the later innings, and will present tough at-bats depending on the matchup. Despite his recent struggles, Michael Cuddyer is also capable of putting together a quality at-bat.
Kansas City doesn’t need an elite bench playing in the AL, but more decisions have to be made playing under NL rules. The Mets have a clear advantage in that aspect, and it will only improve if they can knock Young out of the game early on.
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