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9/19/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Garrett Stratton

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Garrett Stratton


Garrett Stratton is a 23-year-old right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets’ minor-league system (born August 1, 2003, in Webster, TX; 6'2", 198 lbs; B/T: R/R). He was selected by the Mets in the 20th round (613th overall) of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Rice University and signed for a $150,000 bonus. Background and Path
  • Houston native who starred at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (strong high-school numbers, including a 1.87 ERA and high strikeout totals as a senior).
  • At Rice (2023–2025), results were uneven: high walk rates and ERAs in the mid-to-high 5s/6s across limited innings as a freshman/sophomore, then a more productive but still elevated 6.25 ERA in 40.1 IP (mostly relief) as a junior in 2025. He earned his business degree in three years.
  • Signed shortly after the draft, made a one-inning scoreless debut with Single-A St. Lucie in September 2025, then broke out in his first full pro season in 2026.
2026 Performance (Breakout Year)Stratton has dominated as a reliever and risen quickly:
  • High-A Brooklyn Cyclones: 4-1, 2.73 ERA, 1 save, 29.2 IP, 44 K, 15 BB.
  • Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (promoted mid-June): 
Stratton throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a primarily vertical pitch mix (up/down tunneling that works similarly vs. LHH and RHH). College scouting noted inconsistent release/command and a low-to-mid-90s fastball with a cutter, 12-6 curve, and changeup. Pro development (with Mets coaches, including work that overhauled his breaker) refined it into a tighter, higher-spin arsenal. Current reported mix (from team notes and his own comments):

  • Four-seam fastball: 94–96 mph (up from college low-to-mid-90s).
  • Cutter: 90–92 mph (glove-side movement off the fastball).
  • Breaking ball (“death ball”): ~85–87 mph. This is the key addition—a hard, high-spin, high-vertical-drop pitch (described as a short curveball / big vertical slider hybrid, or pure “downer”). Stratton and reports credit Mets coaches for reshaping his college breaker into this shape; it generates significant swing-and-miss and is a major driver of his strikeout dominance and improved results. He has referred to it internally as the “death ball.”
He emphasizes the vertical nature of the arsenal and has shown dramatically improved command (especially the near-zero unintentional walk rate at Double-A). No prominent changeup usage is highlighted in recent pro notes.

Stratton remains a low-profile but rapidly rising prospect—still outside most top-30 organizational lists due to draft status and limited prior pro experience—but his 2026 numbers, metrics, and the “death ball” development have Mets followers excited about his bullpen upside.



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