Mets manager Buck Showalter revealed Thursday what many believed was the case when it came to who will be the team's Game 2 starter.
The team will make that decision based on the result of Game 1 against the San Diego Padres on Friday.
"[The result will] have some bearing. We know what we’re planning to do, but some things are dictated by tomorrow night’s game," Showalter said. "Game 2 starter can be dictated by how we do tomorrow night. It could be similar to what San Diego is doing."
What Showalter didn't realize was the Padres announced their Game 2 starter to be Blake Snell. But even if he knew, the team would likely wait to see if Max Scherzer could lead the Mets to a Game 1 victory and a series lead.
What's different in the playoff format this season is the Wild Card round is a best-of-three series. While Showalter didn't go into detail, it is widely believed that if the Mets win Game 1, they'll tap Chris Bassitt to pitch Game 2 in order to save Jacob deGrom for the opener of the NLDS against the Dodgers.
If the Mets lose Game 1, then we should expect deGrom to pitch a must-win game on Saturday.
Showalter was asked point blank whether Bassitt will pitch Game 2 if they win Friday and the skipper said he was not going to "broadcast" their plan to the Padres but that everyone will know after Game 1 ends.
But however Friday shakes out, Showalter is confident that deGrom and Bassitt will be ready to pitch on short notice.
"They know. We talked about this a week ago, at least," Showalter said. "They’ve been aware for a long time where it falls. It’s like if you get rained out, will you able to pitch? They know the order, how it may fluctuate. It’s been the strength of our club, guys don’t let egos get in the way of it. 'Tell me when I can contribute and I will.'"
The Mets take on the Padres in Game 1 on Friday starting at 8:07 p.m.