MACK - MY Sunday Observations - Mack's #6 Mets Prospects - Free Agent Relief Pitchers, Zach Effin, Jhonkensy Noel, Lou Gehrig, Matteo Marelli, Ryan Ammons,

 

We continue with my countdown of Mets prospects with… 

        #6     RHSP    Jack Wenninger

 

Jack Wenninger is a right-handed pitcher in the New York Mets organization, born March 14, 2002, in Barrington, Illinois. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, he bats left and throws right. Drafted by the Mets in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft from the University of Illinois, Wenninger has emerged as a promising prospect.

    Background        Wenninger attended Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois, before starting his college career at Murray State University, where he posted a 5.26 ERA over 51 1/3 innings as a freshman, earning All-OVC Freshman Team honors. He later transferred to the University of Illinois, improving to a 4.59 ERA over 80 1/3 innings in his final college season. 

Professional Career        2023: After signing with the Mets, Wenninger debuted in the Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie, appearing in two games.

    2024:                     He split the season between Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, pitching 115 innings across 25 games (19 starts) with a 4.30 ERA, 1.278 WHIP, 140 strikeouts, and 40 walks. At St. Lucie, he had a 5.02 ERA over 71 2/3 innings, but metrics like a 3.97 FIP and 3.02 xFIP suggested better performance. In Brooklyn, his ERA dropped to 3.12 over 43 1/3 innings, with a lower home run rate (0.21 HR/9) and strong underlying metrics (2.89 FIP, 3.76 xFIP).

    2025:                     Assigned to Double-A Binghamton to start the season, Wenninger was named the Opening Day starter. Through his first 10 starts, he posted a 2.56 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts over 52.2 innings, holding opponents to a .186 batting average. Notable performances include a five-inning, 10-strikeout shutout and a nine-strikeout game in a doubleheader. He ranks among the top Eastern League pitchers, with posts on X noting him as fourth in ERA among qualified pitchers.

    Pitching Profile                 Wenninger throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a repeatable delivery, featuring a fastball in the low-to-mid-90s (topping out at 96 MPH) and a mid-80s changeup with significant vertical and horizontal movement. His fastball command can waver in longer outings, but his changeup, described as plus-plus with a 50%+ whiff rate, is his standout pitch. He also mixes in a curveball, cutter, and has begun experimenting with a slider and sinker.

    Prospect Status                 An estimated MLB arrival in 2026. His 2025 breakout—highlighted by a 2.56 ERA and clutch performances (opponents hitting .108 with runners in scoring position)—has drawn attention. Analysts praise his pitch location and feel, suggesting he could climb prospect rankings with continued development. 

Notable Highlights

Named Binghamton’s Opening Day starter in 2025.

Struck out 32 batters over 20 innings in his first four Double-A starts, with a 0.90 ERA.

His changeup’s late dive and vertical separation make it a dominant pitch. 

Wenninger’s steady improvement and command of a diverse pitch mix make him a pitcher to watch in the Mets’ system.

 

MLB trade deadline Urgency Index 2.0: Who needs what the most?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6464783/2025/07/02/mlb-trade-deadline-urgency-index-2/

RELIEF PITCHING

June was a rough month for the Mets’ bullpen, which ranked 29th in ERA (5.47) and 29th in Win Probability Added (minus-1.3) despite closer Edwin Díaz doing his job just fine. What’s the point of building a star-studded, $325 million roster if getting leads from the starter to the closer is an adventure? New York needs bullpen help.

In particular, the Mets could use a left-handed setup man to replace the injured A.J. Minter. And it’s possible the front office could view the suddenly shaky bullpen as needing multiple reinforcements, especially given the relatively small cost — both in terms of salaries and prospect capital — of adding relievers at the deadline.

Trade Targets

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

Zach Eflin, RHP, Orioles

Eflin was just placed on the injured list (back discomfort), which will be a red flag at the trade deadline. It’s his second time on the IL this season. How he recovers and pitches between now and the end of the month will likely determine if he gets moved. He will be a free agent after this season and is making $18 million. Eflin, 31, is 6-5 with a 5.95 ERA over 12 starts.

Best Candidates for a Change-of-Scenery Trade

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/mlb-best-change-of-scenery-trade-deadline-candidates/

Jhonkensy Noel – OF – Cleveland Guardians (AAA)

2025 MiLB Stats: .280/.344/.561, 5 HR, 136 wRC+

Who doesn’t love Big Christmas?! Noel is a massive human with massive power and a massive swing-and-miss issue. He struggled to a 4, yes 4, wRC+ in 107 plate appearances with the Guardians this season, which led to him going back to Triple-A.

To me, Noel is not the type of profile the Guardians typically prefer, which makes him land on this list.

Cleveland might not be in a position to be a true buyer. If they are on the fringes, they could elect to move Noel in order to upgrade the team while keeping their prospects and ridding themselves of a player that doesn’t fit the mold of what they typically like. Plenty of teams would love to get his power in their building and see what they can do.

Jim Koenigsberger                                  @Jimfrombaseball

Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech

Yankee Stadium July 4, 1939

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and I have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.  Look at these grand men.  Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?

Sure I'm lucky.

Who wouldn't have  considered it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to spend the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy?

Sure I'm lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something.  When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something.  When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing.

When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest thing I know.  So I close in saying that I might have had a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

 

The Mets have signed RHP Matteo Marelli

Matteo Marelli is a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher from Italy, notable for being the first European amateur signing in New York Mets history. The Mets signed him on July 5, 2025, in a ceremony in Rovigo, Italy, for a modest $10,000 contract. Marelli, who has a 5.15 ERA over 39 career appearances in the Italian Baseball League (Serie A), caught the attention of Mets scout Rosario Chiovaro during Major League Baseball’s European Development Tournament (EDT) in London and Barcelona. Initially a raw prospect with a fastball in the mid-80s, Marelli’s velocity jumped to 94 mph, and he developed a strong changeup, including a "kick change" learned from social media videos. He has five distinct pitches and compares his pitching approach to playing chess, a game he enjoys.

Marelli turned down a scholarship to Arizona Western College to pursue a professional baseball career, starting in the Dominican Summer League alongside mostly Latin American teenagers. Fluent in Spanish and English, he’s shown an ability to adapt culturally, which will be crucial as he faces challenges like acclimating to the Dominican Republic’s culture and weather. If successful, he could progress to full-season ball in Florida, with the long-term goal of reaching the majors in Queens. His signing reflects the Mets’ growing international scouting efforts under owner Steve Cohen, aiming to expand the team’s global footprint

Ernest Dove                               @ernestdove

Updated numbers on Mets LHP prospect Ryan Ammons who for some reason remains in High A

20 app     23 inn     9 H     5 ER (1.96 ERA)     13 BB (so Mets)  32 K

Ryan Ammons is a left-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets minor league system. Born on April 17, 2001, in Easley, South Carolina, he is 6'0" tall and weighs 205 pounds. Ammons was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Clemson University, where he graduated with a degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management. He was traded to the Mets on December 6, 2023, along with cash considerations, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Justin Slaten.

Ammons has yet to make his MLB debut but has shown promise in the minors.

In 2025, while playing for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, he made 20 appearances, pitching 23 innings with a 1.96 ERA, allowing only 9 hits, 5 earned runs, 13 walks, and striking out 32 batters.

His pitching repertoire includes a low-90s fastball (topping out at 94 mph), a slider as his primary secondary pitch, and a show-me splitter.

He suffered a forearm strain during his senior year at Clemson, which shifted him from a starter to a reliever, and it’s unclear if he’ll remain in that role long-term.

Ammons was placed on the 60-day injured list in August 2023 and did not pitch professionally that year.

At Clemson, from 2019 to 2023, he appeared in 47 games (two starts), posting a 3-2 record with a 4.35 ERA and 75 strikeouts over 51.2 innings. He served as Clemson’s closer in 2022 and was a team captain in 2023, earning the Tiger Baseball Award for leadership. Both of his parents are also Clemson graduates.

 

Thomas Nestico                               @TJStats

MLB Team OPS vs ERA

 

Team HardHit%

 

New York Mets                                 @Mets

We have made the following roster moves.