MACK - MY Sunday Observations Morning Thoughts - Bryce Jenkins, My Upcoming Movement, MLB Pipeline Projected Top 3 Mets Picks

 

Morning Thoughts

 

One of the long lost 2023 draft pitching prospects peeked his head out this past week and tossed a rehab inning for the FCL Mets.

Bryce Jenkins joined the Mets organization when he was selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Injury and Recovery: He missed the entire 2024 season due to an injury. Recently, he was sent on a rehab assignment to the FCL Mets, marking his return to the mound.

Rehab Performance: In his first rehab appearance on June 26, 2025, Jenkins pitched a perfect inning, striking out two batters, showcasing a promising step in his recovery.

We all are aware that three of the Mets minor league teams have qualified for the playoffs. Next… all-star games.

Yes, the Mets have had some recent promotions in the chain, but I anticipate more coming once the all-star games are completed.

Some movement I look for:

AA –

    SP Jonah Tong to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (should have happened before this)

    SP Jack Wenninger to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (room has to be made for him too. There is nothing more for him to do at the AA level)

    RP Douglas Orellana to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (not sure if Orellana will be an all-star, but it’s time for him to go to AAA)

    1B Ryan Clifford to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (has improved BA and is leading all affiliates in producing home runs. Clifford is beginning to show the creds he was given to someday follow in Pete’s footsteps, in case he moves on. The team needs to let him finish the season at the AAA level so he could be ready to compete for the starting first base position on the Mets next spring training)

    SS/CF Jett Williams to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (another of those stars that have nothing left to do at the level he is playing. Move him to AAA and concentrate on him commanding defense at second)

    CF Nick Morabito to be transferred to AAA-Syracuse (to me, this is your future Mets centerfielder. Not Jett and certainly not Drew Gilbert. Plant him there for the rest of the season at the last minor league level and give him a change to compete for this position next spring training for the Mets)

    SP Noah Hall to be transferred to AA-Binghamton (Hall has very quietly become the ace of the Cyclones rotation and, simply put, it’s time)

    RP Saul Garcia to be transferred to AA-Binghamton (Garcia is the go-to reliever for Brooklyn and has enough games under his belt to move on to the next level)

MLB Pipeline                                     @MLBPipeline

The Draft is almost here (July 13-14)!

Check out our NEW Top 250 Prospects list:

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/

Mets Picks:

#38             RHP           Riley Quick                         Alabama

21/years old             6' 6"                       255

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Quick was Alabama's top high school baseball prospect in 2022, as well as a four-star offensive lineman who drew interest from college football programs, but he was determined to pitch for the Crimson Tide. After a successful freshman season in Alabama's bullpen, he blew out his elbow in his first college start in 2024 and had Tommy John surgery. He returned quicker than normal, making it back for the start of the 2025 season and staying healthy other than missing a late-March start with a bad blister.

Quick has the power stuff to go in the first round, beginning with a heavy sinker that sits at 96-97 mph and tops out at 99, and the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder holds his velocity throughout his starts. His mid-80s slider can be a wipeout offering with two-plane depth, and he can turn it into a cutter that climbs as high as 95 mph. He also flashes a solid upper-80s changeup with fade and sink.

Though Quick's fastball and slider grade as plus-plus at their best and he can back them up with a quality changeup, he doesn't miss nearly as many bats as his pure stuff indicates he should. His pitches move so much that they can be difficult to harness, leaving him with decent control but spotty command. He has logged fewer innings than most third-year college pitchers and the hope is that he'll approach his frontline-starter ceiling as he gains more experience and polish.

 

#102            Brian Curley     RHP                       Georgia

22/years old      5' 10"          212

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Curley spent his first two college seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, then turned down the Pirates as a 16th-rounder last July in order to transfer to Georgia. He opened his junior year as the Bulldogs' closer, worked his way into their rotation by late March and took over as their No. 1 starter three weeks later. He has added 3 mph to his fastball this spring and limited opponents to a .179 average while striking out 85 in 66 innings.

Curley not only deals at 94-97 mph and reaches 100 with his fastball, but he also produces high spin rates and difficult carry, and has maintained his velocity through longer outings. He also has shown the ability to miss bats with three different breaking balls, the best of which is a mid-80s slider with impressive depth. It elicits more chases than an upper-80s cutter and a low-80s curveball that serves as a change of pace against lefties.

Though he'll get a chance to prove himself as a starter in pro ball, Curley projects more as a power reliever at the next level. He lacks size and pitches with considerable effort which results in fringy control. His fastball does lack life, so he needs to work in the mid-90s and up in the zone to keep it off barrels.

 

#133           Cooper Underwood          LHP          Allatoona (GA)

18/years old     6' 2"                       185

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Underwood rarely touched 90 mph with his fastball last summer and looked like a projectable high school left-hander who would need to develop in college before he was ready for pro ball. Now that he has begun to add strength and velocity as a senior, he could get drafted high enough to divert him from a commitment to Georgia Tech. He possesses some of the best feel for spin in this year's prep class.

Underwood has averaged 90 mph with his fastball this spring and topped out at 93 with carry and armside run, and he still has room to add plenty more muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame. There's some debate as to which of his high-spin breaking balls is better, with his upper-70s downer curveball a tick more reliable than his tighter and slightly harder slider. His 82-85 mph changeup features promising fade but is a bit firm.

Underwood uses his athleticism to repeat his efficient delivery well. He shows aptitude for throwing strikes and mixing four pitches, all of which he trusts. If he continues to get stronger and better, he might become a No. 3 or 4 starter one day.