Back the Zach Attack

The Mets haven't had much go right this season, but one bright spot has been their young pitching. While plenty of fans knew about the upside of McLain and Scott, Zach Thornton has quietly emerged as another arm worth paying attention to.

Thornton has made just five major league starts, but he's already posted an impressive 2.43 ERA. Even more encouraging, he's allowed just four total runs over his last four starts, showing poise well beyond his experience.

What I like most here, though, isn't necessarily the matchup—it's the workload. After being eased into the rotation, the Mets have clearly taken the training wheels off. Thornton has pitched at least six innings in each of his last four starts, including a seven-inning outing, and he recorded 19 outs in his most recent appearance.

Now the books are asking for just Over 16.5 outs recorded, and I think that's too low.

He gets a favorable matchup against a Miami lineup that has been ice cold for weeks. The Marlins have scored three runs or fewer in 12 of their last 17 games, and in 10 of those contests they've been held to two runs or fewer. This simply isn't an offense that's forcing opposing starters out of games early.

Thornton continues to build trust with the Mets coaching staff, and his increasing pitch count suggests they'll let him work deep into games as long as he's effective. Against a struggling Marlins lineup at home, I expect exactly that.

I'll gladly take Zach Thornton Over 16.5 Outs Recorded and expect him to give us another quality six-inning performance.

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