MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHSP - R.J. Gordon

 

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHSP - R.J. Gordon

R.J. (Robert Joseph) Gordon is a right-handed starting pitcher in the New York Mets’ organization, currently with their Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

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Background

• Born: October 26, 2001 (age 24), in Thousand Oaks, California (hometown Santa Clarita area).
• Height/Weight: 6’0”, 195 lbs.
• Bats/Throws: Right/Right.
• High school: Primarily Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) then West Ranch High School (Stevenson Ranch, CA).
• College: University of Oregon. He missed the 2023 season after elbow surgery (internal brace procedure) and returned in 2024 as a redshirt junior/Friday night starter: 7-6, 5.13 ERA, 87 K in 94.2 IP over 17 starts. Career college marks were solid but not elite (around a 5.22 ERA overall).
  en.wikipedia.org

The Mets selected him in the 13th round (pick 383) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Oregon and signed him for a reported $150,000 bonus. He did not pitch professionally in 2024 (rest after a heavy college workload).

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Professional Career

• 2025 (debut season): Strong breakout. Started at High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (5-2, 3.06 ERA, 76 K in 67.2 IP over 15 G/11 GS), then promoted to Double-A Binghamton in July. With Binghamton: 6-1, 3.69 ERA, 71 K in 61 IP. Overall minors: 11-3, 3.36 ERA, 147 K in 128.2 IP. Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for August (4-0, 2.08 ERA, 42 K in 34.2 IP). Ranked as a mid-to-upper Mets prospect (e.g., around No. 16–25 on various lists; MLB Pipeline has had him as high as No. 18 and a top-6 starting pitching prospect in the system).
  amazinavenue.com
• 2026: Dealt with a lat strain early, missed time (placed on IL in early April, rehabbed, activated in May). Struggled initially (high ERA through midseason, including a rough stretch with a cumulative ~8 ERA in early outings). 
  nypost.com

Career minors (through available 2026 data): roughly 15-12, 4.17 ERA, 230 K in 216 IP. He has shown good strikeout ability and improved command after mechanical tweaks post-college surgery.Pitch RepertoireGordon throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a drop-and-drive delivery. He uses a broad mix and succeeds by keeping hitters off-balance rather than relying on pure elite stuff from any single pitch. Typical arsenal (from game notes and scouting):

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• 4-seam fastball: 91–94 mph (can touch 95–97). Features good induced vertical break, some natural cut, and a flatter approach angle that plays up, especially vs. lefties.
• 2-seam/sinker (sometimes listed): Similar velocity range.
• Changeup (key secondary, often described as a “kick” change): Low-to-mid 80s (around 81–84). Low-spin with sharp downward action and limited traditional fade; generated high whiff rates (especially in High-A 2025) and was a major developmental focus.
• Slider: Mid-to-high 80s (84–87). Gyro-style with solid command; he can also vary shape toward more sweep.
• Sweeper: Around 82–84 mph (a more horizontal-breaking variant).
• Curveball: Mid-to-upper 70s (75–78). Occasional 12-6 or 11-5 shape used as a change-of-pace.

He developed better separation between his breaking balls and refined the changeup after drafting, shifting toward a command-and-mix profile. 

Scouts note he is most effective when sequencing the full mix unpredictably.

amazinavenue.com

Gordon is a classic late-round success story in the Mets’ deep pitching pipeline—strong 2025 performance put him on the map as a potential big-league contributor (ETA previously eyed for late 2026 or beyond), though 2026 has been a regression year due to injury and inconsistency. He remains a solid Double-A arm with starter traits. For the absolute latest stats or video, check MiLB.com or team notes, as minor-league seasons evolve quickly.