Your New York Sports Blog

Well last time it was Mike Pelfrey or Orlando Hernandez for the 5th, well now it is Jorge Sosa or Mike Pelfrey. Here is cases for and against each starter.

• Pros:
• Fastball you can't teach
• Filthy Breaking ball
• Young/driven to win
• Potential Ace Pitcher

• Very Inconsisten
• Inexperienced
• Control Issues
• Still needs time

Jorge Sosa
6'2
220 lbs.
4/28/1977
6 years of MLB experience



Pros:

• Filled in beautifully when called on last year
• Has a rubber arm
• Versatile (can start or relieve)
  
• Will let young players keep their options

Cons:

• Does not have the best stuff
• Can give up the long ball.... a lot
  
• Does not do as well after teams get a look at him

Stuff: Pelfrey is clearly the one with better pure stuff. Like discussed last time his pitches just have filthy movement he just needs to learn to control his pitches and be more aggressive with his fastball. Sosa features a low to mid 90's fastball with little movement and a tight slider that could be called his best pitch. Sosa tends to throw the slider too much leaving it up some times resulting in the large amounts of homeruns.
Advantage: Pelfrey

Spring: Because of Jorge Sosa's spring he is in the conversation. He has pitched 12 innings, struck out 10, and has given up only 2 runs 1 earned for a 0.75 ERA! Pelfrey has had the complete opposite spring training. Pelfrey has pitched 17.1 innings, given up 29 hits, 17 runs, 16 earned, walked 7, gave up 2 homeruns, and struck out only 6. His ERA is 8.31!!!! Click here to see their spring stats lined up.
Advantage: Sosa

MLB Success: This is where both pitchers struggled. Click here for Sosa's stats and here for Pelfrey's stats. As you can see neither guy has pretty ERA's, although Sosa did have one amazing season with the Braves in 2005. Something I didn't know that is Sosa's next homerun he gives up will be his 100th career homerun given up, a proud stat to have. It is also pretty sad Pelfrey hit more batters in 19 games (12) than Sosa hit in 234 games (8)
Advantage: Push

Overall: My opinion has not changes on who I think will win the final spot. Sosa just was so much better coming out of the pen last year and was able to pitch back-to-back games effectively. So I guess you could say my opinion is based not on who is most deserving, but what would be best for the team. I also don't believe in babying players in the minor leagues. They are going to have to learn mental toughness and if they were meant to be great they will be great an extra year in the minors will not change this. The Mets would also be expecting less this year than in previous years so if he went 3-6 it would not be so bad with Johan, Pedro, Maine, and Perez so my answer is clearly.... Mike Pelfrey.
Advantage: Pelfrey.

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