IN FOCUS - Jonathan Santucci, Bullpen Needs, Mark Vientos, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Steven Kwan, Gregory Soto, Wellington Aracena, Cameron Foster

 

Ernest Dove            @ernestdove
Final line on Mets P prospect Jonathan Santucci in his AA debut
6 inn
2 H
2 ER
1 BB
8 K
55 of 81 pitches for strikes

I'd argue at least 1 of the 2 runs that 5th inning being unearned but alas I'll take it.
A deep dive...
Jonathan Joseph Santucci, born December 28, 2002, in Leominster, Massachusetts, is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Mets organization. 
A 6'2", 205-pound southpaw, Santucci was drafted by the Mets in the second round (46th overall pick) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Duke University, signing for a slot value of $2,031,700. 
Background and College Career
Santucci comes from an athletic family, with his father, Steven, having played baseball at Assumption College and in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league system. 
At Phillips Academy Andover, Santucci was a standout two-way player, hitting .322 and showing promise on the mound, though he pitched only seven innings in high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a deep team that included another top prospect, Thomas White. He went undrafted in 2021 and honored his commitment to Duke University.
At Duke, Santucci transitioned from a two-way player to a full-time pitcher:

• Freshman Year (2022): Appeared in 20 games, starting as a reliever before becoming a weekend starter, posting a 4.17 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 41 innings.
• Sophomore Year (2023): Started seven games before a season-ending elbow surgery to address bone chips, finishing with a 4.30 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.
• Junior Year (2024): Served as Duke’s Friday night ace, posting a 3.41 ERA over 13 starts and 58 innings, with 90 strikeouts (14 K/9) and 36 walks (5.6 BB/9). He missed time due to a rib injury but returned for two innings in the NCAA Regionals.

Santucci also played summer ball with the Worcester Bravehearts (2021) and Harwich Mariners (Cape Cod League, 2022), earning All-Star honors in the latter.
Professional Career
Santucci has quickly emerged as a top pitching prospect for the Mets. 
He began his professional career in 2025 with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, where he made 15 appearances (13 starts) by July 2025, posting a 3.46 ERA over 67.2 innings, with 75 strikeouts and 23 walks. Since May 16, 2025, he has been particularly dominant, with a 1.35 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over his last nine games, including a standout performance of 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, and 9 K. On July 7, 
2025, he was promoted to Double-A Binghamton to join the Rumble Ponies.
Pitching Repertoire
Santucci’s repertoire is built around a three-pitch mix, with his fastball and slider being his primary weapons. He throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, almost exclusively from the stretch, with a leg kick and long arm action.

• Fastball (60-grade): Sits 92-96 MPH, touching 97 MPH, with above-average riding life and a flat approach angle due to his arm slot. It’s especially effective up in the zone, generating significant carry and running action. In college, he struggled to throw strikes with his four-seamer, contributing to high walk rates and pitch counts.
• Slider (60-grade): His best pitch, sitting 82-85 MPH with tight, two-plane gyroscopic break. It’s a platoon-neutral weapon, generating a 56% whiff rate in 2024, effective against both left- and right-handed batters. The slider’s late break makes it a wipeout pitch.
• Changeup (50-grade): Thrown in the mid-to-high 80s with armside fade and vertical tumble. It’s used sparingly, primarily against right-handers, and lacks consistency, often struggling to land in the strike zone. The Mets see potential for improvement with professional coaching.

The Mets are exploring adding a sinker or cutter to his arsenal to induce early-count weak contact and reduce deep counts, addressing his control issues.
Scouting Profile and Outlook
Santucci is a premium athlete with a strong, durable frame, though his injury history (2023 elbow surgery, 2024 rib injury) raises some concerns about long-term health.
 His control is below-average (40-grade), with a 14% walk rate in college, leading to high pitch counts and inefficiency. However, his athleticism, easy delivery, and mechanics suggest potential for average control with professional instruction.
His fastball-slider combination gives him a high ceiling as a potential mid-rotation starter, though some scouts see a future as a high-leverage reliever if his command doesn’t improve. 
FanGraphs has compared him to J.C. Romero, noting that developing a reliable third pitch (e.g., a refined changeup or second fastball) could solidify his starter profile. His estimated MLB ETA is 2027.
Current Status and Future
As of July 2025, Santucci is with Double-A Binghamton, where he continues to develop his command and pitch mix. His recent performances, including a 0.93 ERA over his last five starts with Brooklyn, indicate he’s adapting well to professional ball.
Me?
There is a lot of good here... a lefty... a young lefty... an ex-Friday night starter for a biggie school... high velo...
23 walks in 67.2 Cyclone innings is a liveable number... it's the 75-K that makes team officials excited.
But...
He'll be ready in 2027 but there doesn't seem to be any rook for him in the Mets rotation then. You'll have Tong, Wenninger, McLean, Tidwell, Scott, Sproat... see what I mean.
That doesn't mean there isn't a future for this kid.
I'm a big ACC baseball follower and followed him evert Friday game in his junior year at Duke. I thought he would be a 3rd rounder, but was still thrilled when the Mets drafted him a round earlier. What I didn't expect was the Mets to sit him for the rest of that season but already have him pitching AA ball... successful AA ball.
I see him in the Mets pen, possibly as early as next season.

How the Mets Should Approach the 2025 Trade Deadline

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/how-mets-should-buy-2025-trade-deadline/

The Bullpen: Helping Bridge the Gap to Edwin Díaz

Injuries and overuse have decimated the Mets’ bullpen, which has not found anyone who can consistently throw up zeros outside of closer Edwin Díaz.

The recent activation of Brooks Raley has paid off so far in three appearances, as he is yet to allow a run, but they still need more. Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazoban have been solid all year, but they are the two most heavily used options for Mendoza.

Stearns has made it clear that the bullpen is his top priority at the deadline. Additionally, all signs indicate the Mets will be in the market for multiple arms, with potentially one being left-handed to help Raley.

Relievers are always a hot commodity at the deadline, and no team is fully content with their relief corps. The names below are the generic ones that numerous teams are in the market for, but the Mets will absolutely be one of those teams.

Potential Targets

Jhoan Durán – Minnesota Twins

Durán would be a slam-dunk pick for Stearns to set up Diaz at the back of games. Additionally, with an opt-out looming in Diaz’s contract, Durán’s acquisition would at least give New York a safety net in the closer’s role for next season.

The price for Durán’s services will not be cheap, especially if packaged with Bader, but he is the best available in this market. This season, Durán has thrown 46 ⅓ innings and pitched to a 1.94 ERA. He is extremely difficult to square up, allowing just one home run all year.

Griffin Jax – Minnesota Twins

Duran’s set-up man in Minnesota would be a good pickup in his own right, despite what baseline metrics may tell you. Jax owns an ERA over 4.00 this season, but has struck out nearly 14 batters per nine innings.

Outside of Diaz, the Mets do not have a reliever who strikes out more than 10 per nine innings. Jax would give them some desperately needed swing-and-miss stuff. Again, Jax can be packaged with Bader and figures to cost far less than Duran.

David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar has turned his career around this year after a miserable 2024 season. That misery extended into this season, as he was demoted to Triple-A after a difficult stretch in April.

Since May 24, Bednar has not been scored upon in 20 ⅓ innings, locking down 11 saves in that window. Like Duran, he gives New York assurance in the closer’s role beyond this season. His price tag would likely be higher than that of Jax, but not nearly as steep as Duran’s.

 

Danny Coulombe – Minnesota Twins

The Twins clearly have something working in their bullpen, and most of them should be available at the deadline. Coulombe would give the Mets another lefty option alongside Raley and has a 0.93 ERA in 2025.

Brock Stewart – Minnesota Twins

The Mets have been linked to Stewart, who has quietly had a strong year for the Twins. He has pitched to a 2.51 ERA in 37 games. He ranks in the 91st and 92nd percentiles in barrel percentage and hard-hit rate, respectively.

With Bader, Duran, Jax, Coulombe, and Stewart all available, Minnesota general manager Jeremy Zoll figures to be a popular contact in Stearns’ contacts in the next week.

Gregory Soto – Baltimore Orioles

Soto is one where you need to look past the ERA. As a lefty, he would give the Mets a hard-throwing southpaw to contrast Raley, but he struggles with the free pass. He has struck out 42 batters in 35 ⅓ innings, but also walked 18.

If the Mets don’t come away with anything substantial in the reliever market, that will certainly be a disappointment for a team in need of fresh arms. New York has gotten the fifth-most innings from relievers in MLB.

Mets mailbag

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6514282/2025/07/24/mets-trade-deadline-clay-holmes-mark-vientos-lineup/

Mark Vientos doesn’t seem like a Stearns guy (poor defense, poor speed, little versatility), but he also has no options. What are the realistic scenarios for Vientos at and after the deadline, especially with Starling Marte playing well? Does Vientos have trade value? —Emilie F.

Do the coaches see anything different this year versus last? The underlying metrics are not too far off, except he is pulling less. — Mike N.

Tim: Let’s combine the two Vientos questions here.

First, Vientos has some trade value, but, as you probably suspect, not nearly as much as he had at the start of the season. It would not shock me if he were traded in the next week, but I don’t expect him to be, in part because his right-handed bat can be a useful complement, even with Marte back, to McNeil and Baty on the infield.

The big difference in Vientos’ season has been the quality of his contact. His plate discipline is pretty much in line with last year: He had plenty of chase and swing-and-miss in his game in 2024, too. But while he’s connecting with the ball in 2025, the exit velocity is lower and it’s on the barrel less often. And that’s been a concern for Vientos and the club dating to spring training — the ball just wasn’t coming off the bat as expected.

There has been some speculation inside the Mets that maybe Vientos’ offseason focus on agility left him somewhat less strong than a year ago. I’m not sure how much I buy that explanation — and to be clear, they’re not sure how much they buy that explanation — but in either case, the emphasis right now is getting the barrel on the ball more consistently. To do that, they’ve slowed down some of Vientos’ pregame work in the cage, making sure he’s concentrating on how well he’s contacting each pitch. The Mets have seen progress there, and now they’re hoping the results follow over the next two months.

Top Rental Bats on the Block

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/rental-arms-bats-mlb-trade-deadline-candidates/

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh Pirates: A utility infielder who will compete in at-bats, steal bases, and provide solid defense wherever you put him. IKF is not going to get the Pirates a haul, but he can go help someone’s bench for a playoff push.

Trade Targets

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6467560/2025/07/02/mlb-trade-deadline-predictions-alcantara-naylor/    

Steven Kwan, LF, Guardians

This shocked me, but multiple teams mentioned Kwan, who has won three consecutive Gold Glove awards and is having another nice season. Kwan is slashing .296/.359/.418 (118 OPS+) with six home runs, 18 doubles and 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. Kwan, 27, is under team control through 2027 and is arbitration-eligible going forward. Perhaps the Guardians would consider dealing him for a more impactful power bat.

Mets address bullpen need by acquiring lefty Gregory Soto from Orioles

Soto, a free agent at the end of the season, has a 3.96 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with 44 strikeouts and 18 walks. Armed with a high-90s sinker and a slider that generates a lot of whiffs, Soto was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 while pitching for the Detroit Tigers. Since then, his results have been around league average.

Still, he stood out as one of the better lefty relievers on the trade market. Among left-handers this season, his 27.5-percent strikeout rate ranks 13th in MLB but his 11.3-percent walk rate is the eighth-highest. He has held left-handed batters to a .547 OPS, but right-handed batters own a .726 OPS against him.

 

What Did The Mets Lose in the Gregory Soto in Swap with Orioles

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/mets-trade-for-gregory-soto-orioles-swap-news/

Wellington Aracena is the prize of Baltimore’s return, as at just 20 years old, he has excelled at Low-A Port St. Lucie. Despite starting eight games, he profiles as a reliever and has pitched to an ERA of 2.38. Like Soto, Aracena has big strikeout stuff, punching out 84 batters in 64 ⅓ innings. According to MLB Pipeline, Aracena has a 60-grade fastball that sits in the high 90s and tops out over 100 mph.

Cameron Foster has had a strong year in his own right, pitching in his third minor league season. He was a 14th-round pick in 2022 out of McNesse State and has excelled in Double-A Binghamton this season. In 26 ⅔ innings for the Rumbleponies, Foster held an ERA of 1.01, but was roughed up for seven runs in two Triple-A outings before being sent back down.

All 19 of his appearances have been in relief.