Paul Blackburn With Another Strong Start

Paul Blackburn is pitching in a playoff race for the first time in his career, but that hasn’t fazed him. The New York Mets have received two quality starts from the right-hander in a matter of days, both of which on the road. So far, so good for him. Blackburn did not earn a decision in Wednesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies, but that shouldn’t detract from another strong performance.

His final line was six innings pitched, two runs, one earned, five hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts. The overarching takeaway was Blackburn’s ability to execute when under significant pressure. On the night, the Rockies were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Against Blackburn, they were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, including two strikeouts.

Blackburn’s usage of his cutter against the Rockies stood out. 37 of his 93 pitches were the cutter, totaling 39.7 percent. For the year, he has used his cutter 22.1 percent of the time. Through two starts with the Mets, he is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings. Blackburn has thrown 72, 82, and 93 pitches in three starts since coming off the injured list. It appears he is getting closer and closer to his peak workload. That’s a big positive for the Mets rotation.

The pitching staff has gone through several ups and downs this season. Early on, Luis Severino was leading the way. Now, Sean Manaea and José Quintana are pitching at a fantastic level, probably the best stretch of their seasons. The sample size is small, but Blackburn has been exactly what the Mets hoped he would be. A veteran who can eat innings while giving his team a chance to win. There is plenty of time left in this season, but the early return says Blackburn was a smart addition for 2024 and 2025.

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