Steve Sica -The Case For Dom Hamel

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the Mets moving to a six-man rotation—partly to give Kodai Senga more rest as he returns from injury, and partly due to the team's impressive pitching depth.

Much of the chatter has focused on the possibility of promoting top prospect Brandon Sproat. The 24-year-old right-hander is knocking on the door of the majors in Syracuse. However, calling him up comes with its share of risks. His numbers in Triple-A have been inconsistent. His best outing came on April 18, when he shut out Buffalo over six innings, allowing just four hits and one walk. 

Unfortunately, he followed that performance with his worst start of the season just five days later, surrendering six runs in two innings against Worcester.

There’s no doubt about Sproat’s potential. His strong performances at Single-A and Double-A levels justify his status as the Mets’ top prospect, and Triple-A is notoriously difficult for pitchers. Still, it might be wise to let him continue working through his struggles in Syracuse rather than rushing him to Queens for a spot start, which could damage his confidence. The need for a sixth starter still remains—and that’s where a former top pitching prospect could step in.

Dom Hamel, drafted by the Mets in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, was once ranked among the organization’s top 10 prospects. Like Sproat, he had a rough introduction to Triple-A, which caused his stock to drop. But this season, the 26-year-old has quietly put together a strong campaign. 

Now ranked as the Mets’ No. 25 prospect, Hamel has been somewhat overlooked as the organization focuses on younger arms like Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, and Jack Wenninger—pitchers making waves in Double-A but likely still a year away from contributing at the big-league level.

Hamel opened the season with back-to-back scoreless starts for Syracuse. Though he struggled in his most recent outing, giving up four runs over four innings against Scranton, he entered that game with a 2.45 ERA. 

With his experience as a starter, Hamel could serve as a viable short-term option in the rotation. His promotion would help spare an already overworked bullpen and could turn into a low-risk, high-reward move.

The Mets have already seen success calling up Triple-A journeymen like Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman. Dom Hamel could continue that trend. Aside from a difficult 2024 season, his numbers have been solid at the lower MiLB levels. He’s spent four years developing in the Mets’ system, and now may be the perfect time to see what he can do at the Major League level.

About the Author:

My name is Steve Sica. I went to school at Rider University for Journalism. I’ve been a Mets fan since 2000, when my dad took me to my first game at Shea when I was 7. Grew up in Central New Jersey and became a fan of the Mets MiLB teams by seeing the B-Mets whenever they came to Trenton. 

Now living in Arizona, I can still watch the future of the Mets every October during the Arizona Fall League. Follow me at @FarmToFlushing for more Met prospect news and opinions.