12/18/25

MACK - POSITION ANALYSIS - SP (#2 of 5) -

 


Position Analysis – SP

                    Good morning.

Here’s #2 of 5 in a series of prospect starters in the Mets chain:

 

PC - Megan Briggs

Tyler Megill – 60-day/IL TJS – The mystery isn’t if or when Megill will pitch in 2026… he’s down for the count for the entire season. No, it’s whether the Mets will retain his service when he is ready to pitch again. He has no options left so it’s trade, DFA, or a major league activation. 

Me? Well, that will be determined around two weeks prior to his scheduled return and whether or not the current Mets pitching staff needs him, either in the rotation or in the pen. Details at 11…

 


Christian Scott – TJS – I have been told by a reliable source that lives at Clover, that Scott has been quietly working his arse off on the back pitching mounds and has been determined to be at 100%. If that’s true, and I’m usually right around 60% of the time (ugh), I expect him to be slow-pitched and start out in the pen… or even returned to AAA-Syracuse to build up arm strength. We are going to have to wait and see together here, but my guess is he will be pitching somewhere in April.

 


Will Watson – wow, did this guy come out of nowhere last season. It seemed like he just marched his way through the chain during his first professional season. I expect more of the same this season, but I do see a return to AA-Binghamton to start off as SP1. From there, AAA followed by a probably late call-up next season to help out in the pen.                                                        

 


Zach Thornton – a particular favorite of mine, my fandom had to take a pause when he went down last season when, on July7th, he suffered a “mild” oblique injury. Have you ever had one of them? Well, there is nothing mild about any level of them. 

Now, try to imagine having that and having to come off the rubber 80-100 times every five days? No, Zach was shut down for the remainder of the season, which prevented him from ending the season in AAA-Syracuse. I have him returning to AA-Binghamton and following the same path that Watson will be on. Two members of the next Three Amigos.

 


Jonathan Santucci – thanks to Brennan, I didn’t miss on this guy. Big time Friday Night starter out of Duke. Started out with 15-G/13-ST with A+ Brooklyn (3.46), but ended strong with AA-Binghamton (10-ST, 2.52). 

Overall, a whopping 138-K in 117.2-IP. Could force his way into the opening day AAA-Syracuse rotation, but I have him first returning to AA-Binghamton to probably help create the strongest rotation n that league.

15 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

It will be very exciting to see Scott, Watson, Thornton, and Santucci blossom in 2026. Mend up, Tylor.

Tom Brennan said...

Megill’s late Sept TJS has him looking at spring 2027 for a return…somewhere.

JoeP said...

Thanks Mack, hope all went well yesterday. It looks Tom may have been right. You came back right out throwing 110 MPH.

Can anyone explain why we are paying McGil this season as he has no guaranteed spot in 2027?

RVH said...

Welcome back Mack! Will be fun watching these guys & Jack Wenninger develop (assuming none are traded)

Tom Brennan said...

Joe P, on Megill, I am guessing that with baseball having a constant, dire need of pitching, when he returns in early 2027, he won’t turn free agent until 2028 and hence will be very tradable or very useful. My guess is his bad 2025 and missing 2026 will reduce his 2027 salary from what it would have been. Which would make his 2026 and 2027 cost to be relatively cheap.

Dan B said...

Great news about Scott. I say take it slow getting him started so he’s totally ready and doesnt have to shutdown early

Tom Brennan said...

And Angry Mike posted this a month ago about 3 pitchers drafted in 2025, which indicates more pitching talent recently added to the talent conveyor belt:

“ They added Peter Kussow who resembles Jacob Misiorowski & Caden Lohman, who’ll remind you of Trey Yesavage because of his delivery. Truman Pauley (12th Rd), has electric stuff and a fastball generating 22.5” of I.V.B and a wipeout “gyro slider”.”

Tom Brennan said...

It is remarkable to me that when Tylor Megill returns in 2027, he will turn 32 in the middle of that season. Time truly flies.

Tom Brennan said...

The Mets see to use and abuse their non-starters. I wonder if Garrett would have needed TJS with a lower level of usage.

I still wonder if Drew Smith will show up this spring. He is a post-TJS free agent.

JoeP said...

Thanks Tom. Didn't they Cut Smith? Or did they resign him to a minor league contract.

Tom Brennan said...

Joe, yes, he was cut, but no one else has picked him up yet.

JoeP said...

He's better than a lot of the crap we threw out there last year. Just saw they cut Waddell. I know he's nothing to write home about, but again he did better than most.

Tom Brennan said...

Joe, I guess Stearns is hoping to use 36 pitchers this year, rather than 46.

Do I hear 56, anyone?

Zozo said...

Mack hoping everything went ok yesterday as well?
I like that we are a top tier minors program and definitely want to prospect hug as many as possible. But as many free agents as possible, make sure you give no one a no trade clause and keep building that farm system up.

Mike Freire said...

The farm system is really starting to take off, which is awesome (finally).

Now, I hope that DS doesn't decimate the system's depth by making a bunch of trades.......fingers crossed.