2020 Vision: Walker Lockett

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm the 7th starter, I completely disappointed Lunchbucket's prediction I'd become the Dark Horse Met of 2019, and I'm out of options.



On the plus side I threw pretty well in a spring game yesterday.



What's next for me?

[Lefty Specialist]

Passes through waivers and spends the summer drinking Genny Creams in Syracuse.

[kcmets]

Genny Creams deserve their own thread! Nothing particularly Metly in 2020.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

All the hope I have for him has been transferred to Steven Gonslaves. I think this palooka sees some action this year though and mostly Syracuses around.



6 games, 11 innings, 4.95 ERA. +/- rating -6 (all the games he appears in are losses even if he's only responsible for 2 of them). The second time we try and send him down he gets waivered away by the Phillies who are struggling with a Zack Wheeler elbow injury.

[MFS62]

If he has to start three or more major league games for the Mets this year, I will not be in a good mood.

Later

[Edgy MD]

It won't take much of a small run of success from Lockett for the Mets to win the Kevin Plawecki trade, but they're not there yet.



I think a dumb nickname and a groundswell of cult-hero fan support would go a long the way. "Lockraven," "Lockett-to-Me," or "Texas Ranger." Some crap like that. "Walker" is just a tough name to carry as a pitcher, but cult heroism can make a strength of irony.



I think he bombs out in two starts while Erasmo Ramirez and Gonsalves look more solid as emergency starters, but he does some strong work out of the bullpen, including one big game where he screws Rhys Hoskins into the ground with a slider leaving two men on in a one-run game, and walks off the mound like, "Yeah, no shit, that's what I do, no big deal" while the fans go nuts (there will be fans again).



He's pretty huge —6'5", with official weights that have swing between 225 and 255 — but that will be the day fans suddenly realize it. "My God! He's a giant!"

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

A big guy who doesn't throw hard. They are always struggling to hang on and tend to need to be cerebral, cagey, clever, inventive and possess confidence beyond their stuff. Is Rockett Launcher that guy? I dunno.