clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Monday Morning Mets Mind Boggler: Pitchers with 4.5 or fewer K/9

Can you name every pitcher in Mets history to strike out 4.5 or fewer batters per nine innings in a season?

Arizona Diamondbacks v New York Mets Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Last week, we asked you to name the pitchers with the highest single-season strikeout rates in Mets history. For this week’s Mind Boggler, we’d like you to name the pitchers with the lowest strikeout rates, which we’re pegging at 4.5 or fewer K/9.

Every qualified pitcher in Mets history with 4.5 or fewer K/9 in a season

To qualify for this list, the pitcher needs to have qualified for the ERA title, which requires at least one inning pitched for every game the pitcher’s team plays. (That, of course, would be at least 162 innings over a full modern-day season.)

Jacob deGrom is the only qualified pitcher on the 2017 Mets, and he’s posting an excellent 10.5 K/9. Among Mets pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched this year, Robert Gsellman trails the pack with 6.2 K/9.

It should be noted that even Gsellman’s strikeout rate, low by today’s standards, is far higher than any of those on this list. In fact, among the 60 qualified pitchers in baseball, only one—Ty Blach of the Giants—has a K/9 rate lower than 4.5.

This quiz is tough, and features a number of older Mets. For some of the more recognizable names, think sinkerballers, soft-tossers, and crafty veterans who got outs without a ton of velocity or great stuff.

You’ll have five minutes for this quiz. Good luck, and remember to post your time and score in the comments!