Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha should be the Waino and Chris Carpenter of the following era, ERAs following suit. Mike Leake, a WHIP wizard, pitched admirably in that pinball machine of a stadium in Cincinnati. And then there’s Jaime Garcia, the southpaw who garners grounders. It seems like he’s been around forever, but he’s still not even 30 (OK, he’s 29), and his ERA last season was 2.43.Yes, 2.43 (You forgot just how low it was, didn’t you?).

As players arrived in recent days to spring training, I asked Wainwright if his staff could be the best staff in the National League.

“I think it could be, for sure,” he said. “I think you have to give credit to some other teams out there that have tremendous arms. Without naming teams, you know there are teams that have very deep staffs. If you look at our team, though, I think we’re in those conversations. I think we have the ability to be one of the best — if not the best — starting rotation in the National League, at least.

“Wacha and Martinez were amazing last year, Jaime came back and was amazing, and then you add in Mike Leake and myself.”

The Mets, too, are amazing. They have the best staff with the best stuff. But then it’s St. Louis.