Giving Props to Vargas When Due

I spent a lot of words early on this season on this page scolding Jason Vargas and the Mets for continuing to trot him out there. Why even link those? We're not here to re-litigate all that but rather celebrate the fact Jason Vargas, fresh off shutting out the Giants over 9 innings, now has the 2nd lowest ERA of the Mets starters, 2nd only to Jacob deGrom.

Noah K. Murray/USA Today Sports
Photo via McCovey Chronicles

It doesn't matter whether this wouldn't be the case if some of our other starters had their shit together. Vargas has quietly, as we dog him every time his slot comes up, had a resurgent season. Forget the fact the Giants have not been very good. We know the Mets well enough to know the record status of their opposition never matters. Every ball team is going to have to play the good, the bad and the ugly, and you have to collect W's wherever you can find them. Not only did the Mets collect one on the backs of an impressive offensive performance, but on the back of a man who would not be here had most Mets fans gotten their way going into the season.

We can only hope and keep rooting for Jason Vargas to continue to excel. He gave the Mets and us fans all we could hope for and more last night, and relieved a relief corps in desperate need of some support (and more quality outings.) Momentum is only as good as your next day's starter, and Vargas has been a rather good next day's starter after a miserable start to the season.

Keep it up, Vargy. Are people calling him that, by the way? We should be.

Enjoy the day game, folks.

KEEP. ON. PUSHIN'.

LET'S. GO. METS.