At this point I hope that most of you have heard about the ridiculous (see what I did there in the title?) run that Mets pitcher, R.A. Dickey is on right now. Last night Dickey became the first pitcher to throw back to back one hitters since 1988. What’s unfortunate is that his first one hitter could have been the Mets second no-no this year, and in history, if it hadn’t been for Wright’s bobbled play in the first inning. But with R.A.’s performance last night, coupled with Ike Davis’ grand slam, it’s easy to let that moment go.
When a fresh, young kid like Strausburg comes up and is proclaimed the future of the franchise, it’s easy to get all wrapped up in the prosepect and promise of this new talent. Especially when it does seem to be working out, just like it is in Washington D.C. this year. But when an already established pitcher steps up at age 38 and is having the season like Dickey is, it’s nothing short of amazing.
The first to reach 11 wins this year, the last 10 being in a row, to say Dickey has settled in, is the understatement of the decade. While I definitely still think Cy Young chatter is a bit premature, there is no doubt in my mind that not only should R.A. be at the All Star Game, he should be the starting pitcher for the National League team. Let’s look at some numbers:
ERA:
1. Dickey 2.00
2. Beachy 2.00
WINS:
1. Dickey 11
2. Lynn 10
STRIKEOUTS:
1. Dickey 103
2. Verlander 103
The point of these numbers is to show that while Dickey isn’t necessarily dominating the charts, he is still tops, while three different pitchers are following him in each category.
So all in all, is Dickey the best pitcher in the Major Leagues right now? That’s a clown question, bro.