As it turns out, the Mets rotation looks pretty darn good. Pretty…pretty…good (done in my best Larry David voice). Anyway, the Mets rotation as it stands now includes Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, and Orlando Hernandez. When El-Duque is healthy, this rotation is a formidable one. But that’s the key, when Hernandez is healthy.

Already, Orlando is showing the pains of age. He had an operation on one of his toes and he still is not 100 percent. Plus, the bunion that caused him problems last season is still there, the operation was not for that. It’s unclear if he will be ready for the beginning of the season. There is no question his heart will but what about his body? That’s why to me the key to the rotation this year is Mike Pelfrey, not Santana, Martinez, Main, or Perez.

Mike Pelfrey was the Mets first round pick in 2005’s amateur draft. He showed great stuff in the minors. Mike has an excellent sinker and when he throws his fastball around 94 miles an hour he can be very tough to hit against. He’s kind of like Kevin Brown in that regard. Pelfrey got called up to the big club in his second professional season. He went 2-1 in 2006 with an ERA of 5.48. His best performance that season was against Cincinnati where Pelfrey gave up 7 hits and 2 runs in a 6 inning performance. The kid definitely showed signs of being a fine major league pitcher one day. Then last year happened.

Because of the rehabilitation of Pedro Martinez, Pelfrey got a chance early last season. Perhaps it was nervousness or trying to do too much but in Pelfrey’s first 7 decisions he had not one win. Hitters teed off on his Pelfrey because his sinker just wasn’t sinking. Once ahead in the count, the hitters drilled the fastball all over the place. Then on a night in August after the Mets were swept in a four game set by the Phillies, Pelfrey pitched the gem of his career in Atlanta. On August 31, Pelfrey allowed the Braves just 1 run on 1 hit over 6 innings. More importantly, his sinker was working again. On that day, Mike decided to stop over thinking and gripping the ball for dear life. He relaxed and just let his mechanics take over, the results were wonderful. Including that night through the end of the season, Pelfrey went 3-1 showing the promise that caused the Mets to make him a first round pick.

If experience counts for anything then Mike Pelfrey should be poised to have a breakout season. He needs to believe that he belongs in the Major Leagues. He needs to rely on his natural mechanics and guile that he showed that evening in Atlanta. If he can do that, Pelfrey can be a major contributor this year and help the Mets achieve the goal they failed to reach last season. His name popped up a lot this off season as there was speculation he would be wearing a Twins uniform by now. But Omar wanted to keep Pelfrey along with prize prospect Fernando Martinez. When the trade unfolded, Pelfey breathed a sigh of relief. So did me because I believe this guy has the stuff to be a very successful starting pitcher for the Mets. Without Pelfrey the Mets still have a formidable rotation. With him they could be down right devastating.

Notes: The Mets unveiled their new Citi Field logo this morning. To see it, go to http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/citifield_images.jsp . Here the Mets have replaced the Citi Field images with a slide show of ballpark renderings with the new Citi logo. Enjoy.