Daily Notes: Zack Wheeler Debuts Today, For Your Information

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: New York NL at Atlanta, 19:10 ET
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: New York NL at Atlanta, 19:10 ET
The Purpose of This Post, Predominantly
The purpose of this post predominantly is to prolong the author’s employment with FanGraphs, Inc., by another day.

The Purpose of This Post, Less Predominantly
The purpose of this post less predominantly is to announce how largely celebrated right-handed prospect Zack Wheeler is starting this game for the Mets.

Regarding Wheeler, Very Basic Information Concerning Him
Wheeler was drafted sixth overall by the San Francisco Giants out of a Georgia high school in 2009. He was acquired by the Mets in the trade that sent Carlos Beltran to San Francisco in 2011. His stuff is considered to be rather excellent. He’s posted more strikeouts (420) than innings (391.1) as a minor leaguer.

Regarding Wheeler, More Advanced Information Concerning Him
More advanced information concerning Wheeler will appear later today, courtesy real-live prospect analyst Marc Hulet.

Regarding Wheeler, His Place Among Different Prospect Lists
Here’s where Wheeler ranked on assorted notable prospect lists this preseason:

Baseball America: 11th.
Baseball Prospectus: 5th.
Bullpen Banter: 7th.
Marc Hulet: 9th.
Keith Law: 13th.
John Sickels: 15th.

Action Footage: Wheeler’s Curveball
Here’s footage of Wheeler’s curveball to former minor-league teammate Gary Brown from a June 1st game between Mets Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas and Giants affiliate Fresno:

Wheeler CU

Action Footage: Wheeler’s Changeup, Maybe
Here’s footage of Wheeler’s changeup, maybe — or, of a fastball with considerable run and depth — to Fresno’s Todd Linden, also from that June 1st game:

Wheeler CH

Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
Chicago AL at Minnesota | 20:10 ET
Dylan Axelrod (74.0 IP, 124 xFIP-, 0.5 WAR) faces Mike Pelfrey (64.2 IP, 123 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR). Insofar as any baseball game could potentially offer Entertainment Nonpareil, so could this game between the White Sox and Twins potentially offer Entertainment Nonpareil. Insofar as the game features two below-average pitchers and two below-average offenses, however, it’s not particularly likely.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Minnesota Radio.

Today’s Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete schedule for all of today’s games, with our very proprietary watchability (NERD) scores for each one. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and RotoWire. The average NERD Game Score for today is 6.1.

Note: the following table is entirely sortable.

Away SP Tm. Gm. Tm. SP   Home Time
Chris Archer* TB 6 9 5 9 0 BOS Alfredo Aceves 13:05
Matt Harvey NYN 10 6 9 8 8 ATL Alex Wood* 13:10
Ervin Santana KC 7 4 6 7 5 CLE Ubaldo Jimenez 19:05
Hyun-Jin Ryu LAN 7 2 5 4 5 NYA Phil Hughes 19:05
Ross Detwiler WAS 4 2 5 2 8 PHI Cliff Lee 19:05
Jeff Francis COL 6 10 6 5 4 TOR Esmil Rogers* 19:07
Zach Britton* BAL 4 8 7 7 9 DET Jus. Verlander 19:08
Zack Wheeler* NYN 14 6 9 8 4 ATL Paul Maholm 19:10
Charlie Morton* PIT 6 6 6 4 7 CIN Mat Latos 19:10
Jake Odorizzi* TB 7 9 7 9 5 BOS Felix Doubront 19:10
Jarrod Parker OAK 3 7 6 3 10 TEX Yu Darvish 20:05
Dylan Axelrod CHA 1 1 1 3 0 MIN Mike Pelfrey 20:10
Alfredo Figaro* MIL 8 4 6 3 6 HOU Jordan Lyles 20:10
Jeff Samardzija CHN 10 5 8 3 9 STL Ad. Wainwright 20:15
Nathan Eovaldi* MIA 6 1 5 3 7 AZ Randall Delgado* 21:40
Jer. Bonderman* SEA 5 4 6 6 7 LAA Joe Blanton 22:05
Andrew Cashner SD 6 8 6 6 5 SF Matt Cain 22:15

To learn how Pitcher and Team NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.





Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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Steve
10 years ago

That Mets-Brave doubleheader is must-watch baseball. Unfortunately Paul Maholm brings it down a little bit, but the first game is also Harvey vs. the major league debut of Alex Wood!

Pirates Hurdles
10 years ago
Reply to  Steve

I’m sure you mean 1st MLB start for Wood, he has 6 bullpen appearances.

Bronnt
10 years ago

It’s his debut as a starter, then.