With the New York Mets pitching staff struggling, a new report claims the team could soon turn to their minor leagues for a boost.
Heading into the season Mets fans knew that their pitching staff could end up being a major problem. The organization traded aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander last summer but chose to retain much of the money left on their massive contracts so they could land better prospects in trades with the Astros and Rangers.
It meant the organization went bargain shopping to improve the starting staff and bullpen in the offseason and it has not worked out well so far. While new addition Sean Manaea has been good in his first two starts, they have gotten mixed results from the rest of their starters, and relievers Yohan Ramirez and Jake Deekman have been rough during their seven combined appearances.
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With planned 2024 ace Kodai Senga still a ways away from making his season debut, the Mets may need to look in-house to address some of their issues on the pitching staff. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported, “People familiar with the Mets’ thinking suggested that New York would be open to promoting someone with little experience at Triple-A.”
The New York Mets have already had Jose Butto make a start this season and are likely to give him another look with the Julio Tehran project failing miserably and Tyler MeGill still sidelined. With that in mind, here are three players the team could call up soon to get their beleaguered pitching staff some help.
3 top New York Mets prospects the organization could promote soon
Christian Scott
Christian Scott is the highest-ranked pitcher in the Mets minor leagues on MLB.com (fifth overall) and played very well to finish the 2023 season in High-A and Double-A. During his 12 games in Double-A, he posted a 4-3 record, a 2.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, with 107 strikeouts to just 12 walks. While he had a rough start in his Triple-A debut this year, he is too highly-touted not to possibly take a look at in the coming weeks.
Dominic Hamel
Dominic Hamel is another youngster making their Triple-A debut in 2024. Unlike Scott, he pitched all of last year in Double-A and posted an 8-6 record with a 3.85 ERA and 160 strikeouts. He has a fastball that hits around 94 MPH, a strong slider, and a curveball that can be above average when it’s at its best. Hamel is the second-highest-ranked pitcher on the farm (14th overall).
Nate Lavender
Nate Lavender may be an option if the organization is looking to give their bullpen a boost. The 24-year-old split time as a starter and reliever at Illinois before the New York Mets took in him in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and again last year in Double-A.
Of the three pitchers he has the most previous experience in Triple-A after going 4-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 2023 and he also posted three saves for the club’s Syracuse affiliate. Due to his experience as a starter and reliever, he might be the player most likely to be called up after Scott.
