9/7/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHSP - Daviel Hurtado

 


 MACK – Let’s Revisit - SP - Daviel Hurtado


Daviel Hurtado is a 21-year-old left-handed starting pitcher in the New York Mets’ minor-league system, currently with High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Background
  • Born January 26, 2005, in Havana, Cuba.
  • 6'1", 166 lbs; bats and throws left.
  • Signed by the Mets as an international free agent in January 2023 for $500,000 (scouted by Oliver Dominguez). He missed 2023 due to injury and debuted in 2024 with the FCL Mets.
  • He earned a spot on Cuba’s 2026 World Baseball Classic roster but did not appear in a game.
PerformanceHe has shown steady improvement and a breakout in 2026:
  • 2024 (FCL Mets): 0-5, 6.32 ERA in 15.2 IP (23 K).
  • 2025 (FCL + Low-A St. Lucie): 1-2, 2.06 ERA, 65.2 IP, 75 K, 1.17 WHIP.
  • 2026 (mostly High-A Brooklyn, with a short Low-A stint): Strong numbers around a mid-2.00s ERA (reports vary slightly by update timing, e.g., ~2.14–2.75 range in High-A), with solid strikeout rates (~25–27% K), low walk rates, and opponents hitting under .170–.190 at times. Career minors ERA has hovered in the mid-to-high 2.00s.

He has earned South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month (June 2026) and Pitcher of the Week honors. He has worked deeper into games (reaching 6 innings multiple times) and shows good ground-ball tendencies with strong command. 

Prospect status: Ranked as high as around No. 24 in the Mets system by MLB Pipeline (mid-to-late 20s in other rankings). Projected as a potential back-end starter with an ETA around 2028. Strengths include deception, spin, and pitchability; the main questions are size/projection and whether the fastball can play up more. Repertoire / Pitch MixScouting grades (MLB Pipeline-style, 2026): Fastball 50 | Curveball 55 | Slider 55 | Changeup 40 | Control 55 | Overall 40.

  • Four-seam fastball: Sits 93–95 mph (can touch mid-90s; earlier reports noted low-to-mid 90s). Average velocity/induced vertical break; more of a command/weak-contact pitch than a big swing-and-miss offering. He sets up on the first-base side of the rubber and turns his back to the hitter for deception/hiding the ball. Sometimes mixes a sinker.
  • Gyro slider: 86–89 mph — one of his best pitches. It dips nicely, generates empty swings and chase, and is used heavily (including against righties).
  • Curveball: Longer 78–81 mph offering with good depth. Another strong secondary that gets whiffs and chase; produces weak contact/ground balls.
  • Changeup: Mid-80s; used infrequently (even vs. righties, where he leans on the slider instead). Least developed pitch.
He throws from a three-quarters (sometimes described as athletic/slingy) arm slot with a long arm action. Strengths are the two breaking balls (both get swings-and-misses and chase), fastball command, ability to expand the zone with softer stuff, low walk rates, and ground-ball induction. He has shown improved stamina and is viewed as having a solid chance to stick as a starter rather than moving to the bullpen. 

In short, Hurtado is a lean, deceptive Cuban lefty with above-average spin/breaking stuff and solid control who has taken a clear step forward in 2026 at High-A. He’s a rising name in the Mets system worth watching as he continues to develop.


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Paul Articulates – Windows ‘26


If you have used a computer long enough, you probably remember all the versions of Windows that you had to re-learn because Microsoft thought that the last version wasn’t good enough.  Things that you had committed to habit suddenly disappeared into menus that were difficult to find, new features were added that you didn’t understand why we needed them, and the old way of doing things was obsoleted with each version.

Baseball (and particularly your New York Mets) kind of mimics that behavior.  The last version of the team wasn’t good enough, so the GM changes everything and for months the team can’t figure out how to score or prevent runs enough to win.  Right about now, some of the players that couldn’t do anything earlier are doing it now, but the results are not much better.  Too little, too late.

Enough of the metaphors.  My main reason for naming this post “Windows ‘26” is that I wanted to discuss the evolution of Mets player personnel.  Every athlete goes through an evolution from learning the game to improving their game to refining the improvements to eventually losing some of the muscle twitch and muscle memory that goes with peak performance.  So, in a way, every athlete has a performance window that opens, exposing them to their highest level of potential competition, and then that window closes with age leading to their demotion and retirement from the sport.  No two windows are the same, but the signs are recognizable.  

Let’s talk about some of the Mets players in terms of their windows.

Windows opening:


Nolan McLean: Last year as a sensational rookie, McLean was called up and performed admirably.  He was an early favorite to win rookie of the year but suffered a few set-backs early with bad innings.  Now in his “refining” stage, he has overcome the obstacles and seems to be entering a high performance window that will see him starting ballgames for years and possibly gaining post-season awards for exceptional pitching.


Carson Benge: In April, many thought that the window had opened too early and he wasn’t ready for the cold blast of winter wind facing him at Citi Field.  But Carson has put those concerns to rest, batting over .300 in three of the four full months not named “April” this season.  His window continues to open wider as his steady and sometimes spectacular defense matches his excellent offensive performance.


AJ Ewing: No one expected Ewing’s window to open so soon.  He showed major league readiness after only a few games at AAA this year and has continued to learn and improve on the field as a starter for the Mets.  Like Benge, he has had some setbacks as pitchers figure out vulnerabilities, but he continues to improve and looks like a long term starter for this team.


Zac Thornton: Much like Ewing, Thornton burst upon the scene as an early call-up and has impressed since his debut.  He has shown  great promise as a lefty starter and appears to be undaunted by the great MLB hitters he faces.  He is not yet in his prime, so consider his window to only be partially open.

Windows Closing:

Marcus Semien: He was a three-time all-star, a gold glove winner, a silver slugger recipient, and a threat to every opposing ballclub.  Now on the trailing end of a 7-year, $175M contract, Semien has lost a step or two.  He has spent the last three years hitting far below his career average.  His productivity is lagging enough to make fans wonder who is going to take his place at second base, and the suddenly healthy list of minor league middle infield prospects is coming on strong.

Mark Vientos: The 2024 season seemed to be the unleashing of his power potential, and many thought he had finally arrived.  However, two very weak seasons later Vientos is platooning as a right-handed DH and occasional first baseman.  His window is rapidly closing, at least in New York.

Brett Baty: Brett’s story is similar to Mark’s although he never had the breakout season.  Baty has been a little more valuable, with defensive skills at several positions to give him more lineup opportunities.  However, with a .225 batting average (.650 OPS) this year and a career .230 batting average (.662 OPS) he is not making a compelling case for extending his window beyond the team control period. 

Sean Manaea: Sean has gone through some very unusual ups and downs as he (and Mets coaches) tinkers with his delivery.  He was mediocre, then he became a star, then he lost it, then it looked like he regained it, and now he looks very much like a 34-year old pitcher with declining skills.   I think that his window closes after his last year (2027) of the current 3-year contract.

Windows concerns: 

Francisco Lindor: The last two versions of the Mets were built around Lindor.  He has been a leader on the field, and outstanding defensive shortstop, and a solid hitter who has shown both power and clutch hitting at times.  This year some cracks have been forming.  He has had some very odd mental lapses and has just physically botched some plays that are so unlike him.  His batting average (.228) and OPS (.734) are at their lowest point since his very difficult first year in NY.  At 32 and with four more full seasons under his current contract one would hope he has much more gas in the tank.  It is just hard to explain his off-days this year.

Francisco Alvarez: Once a can’t miss prospect who was labelled the Mets catcher of the future, Alvarez has had enough ups and downs to make the fans sea sick.  He is currently being out-played on both sides of the ball by his back-up Luis Torrens.  How long will the Mets keep Alvarez’ window open as the primary catcher?

Windows on the lower floors:

This is a sad but very real part of baseball.  Many players compete in the minor leagues trying to fulfil their dreams of playing in the show.  Many players never make it there, and eventually their window closes and they are released.  Some get another chance with a different organization, some continue striving in independent ball, and some eventually take on a different career.  I feel for those guys, especially when they get smacked by the business side of baseball which can be cruel.  There are too many to list by name, but every one of them has a story and had a dream that ended. 


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Reese Kaplan -- Some 2027 Decisions Are Not So Clear


Looking past the recent more positive play in 2026 as this horrific season draws to a close there are a number of interesting decisions that the club must approach in order to put a more competitive team on the field in 2027.  Some of the decisions seem straightforward but as you delve into them they are not quite as simple as the casual fan would conclude.


DFA Infielder Mark Vientos!

It seems no matter which way you turn you can’t help running into long diatribes about how Mark Vientos has tried and failed to become a major league hitter.  With no options left and no position to play the overwhelming sentiment is to write him off as a failure and cut him loose, closing the chapter on yet another failed Mets prospect.

While it’s only been a week since his return from the IL, Vientos has looked downright acceptable and productive as a hitter.  So what changed?  

First of all, playing exclusively against left handed starting pitching has made him from a washout into an actual formidable batter.  Right now the man everyone loves to hate has a .287 batting average against lefties.  Is anyone else on the roster being that productive?

Then there is the question of home run power.  In 247 ABs he has 13 HRs and has driven in 39.  Round up for a full season’s worth of productivity and guess what?  There’s that 27 HR hitter everyone adored when he was given the opportunity.

By contrast, his fellow Baby Met Brett Baty is hitting roughly the same (not at all enviable) overall, but has had 130 additional at bats to deliver 5 fewer home runs and a scant 4 more RBIs.  The other difference is positional versatility and that Baty still has a minor league option.  The Baty believers feel he should come back as a bench player but Vientos should be DFA’d.  

Am I not seeing the same numbers?  Granted, as a platoon DH you could do a lot worse than Vientos whereas offensively Baty has not shown the same potential.  


Mets Relatively Thrive Under Andy Green

Not a single Mets fan nor media type can minimize the difference in the club since Green took over as interim manager for fired Carlos Mendoza.  He’s got the players executing more effectively and as benefited greatly from the productive return of Juan Soto along with Francisco Lindor.  Throw in the greatly improved play of Carson Benge, Bo Bichette and the steady if unspectacular presences of other offensive contributors and all of the sudden you begin to think that maybe the original plan wasn’t so bad after all under the right leadership.

Then you see the great many stories that Andy Green prefers to return to the front office which opens up once again the great debate over who will manage the 2027 team if not rookie skipper Carlos Beltran. Given the major step forward shown with an experienced hand it becomes somewhat less an automatic yes for the Hall of Famer to don his rookie managerial uniform.

Could it be that given his understanding and appreciation of how to use players that the team decides instead of overseeing the farm once again that Green be elevated into the non-existent GM role to complement the less than spectacular effort put forth by David Stearns?


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9/6/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RP - Dan Hammer

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RP - Dan Hammer


Dan Hammer is a 28-year-old right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets organization (born September 10, 1997, in Philadelphia, PA; 6'2", 210 lbs; bats/throws right). 

He is currently with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets after a brief stint as a “phantom ballplayer” (on the MLB roster for a day without appearing in a game). Background and Career Path
  • Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round (378th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh.
  • Spent most of his career in the Orioles system (reaching Double-A Bowie), then was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the minor-league phase of the 2024/2025 Rule 5 Draft and pitched for Double-A Montgomery in 2025.
  • Signed a minor-league deal (reportedly two years) with the Mets in March 2026 as a free agent.

2026 performance -  AA/AAA: 42-G, 2-ST, 6-2, 3.58, 50.1-IP, 35-BB, 58-KPitch RepertoireHammer’s arsenal features good velocity and a standout cutter, but command has long been the limiting factor. Key elements include:

  • Four-seam fastball: Sits 95–96 mph, touches upper 90s (up to 97–97.5 mph reported in showcases and notes). Primary pitch; provides the foundation for his stuff.
  • Cutter: Around 90 mph. Highly regarded—described by Mets interim manager Andy Green as “real” and a “plus Major League pitch.” It’s a key weapon that generates swings and misses and weak contact.
  • Other pitches: Mixes in a slider and/or curveball/slurve (occasionally noted), and has added a two-seamer/sinker and a sweeper (reported as a new addition ahead of 2026). Earlier in his career he also featured a changeup. A 2026 minor-league game tracking showed four-seam, cutter, and slurve usage.
Overall profile: High-velocity, bat-missing arm (above-average miss rates) who works primarily as a reliever. Success at higher levels depends on improving strike-throwing and attacking the zone, as the pure stuff is considered major-league caliber when located. He has drawn comparisons to typical “toolsy but raw” bullpen arms the Mets and other teams often develop.As of late August 2026 he is still pitching in Triple-A for Syracuse and has not yet made an official MLB appearance. 


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Tom Brennan - TONG…Home Field Is A Hostile Work Environment, and Some Solutions

 

WHAT TO DO…WHEN DUMB FANS BOO?

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

THE MIGHTY TONG, WHO HAS BEEN GREAT IN AAA OF LATE, RETURNS ON MONDAY…AGAINST MIAMI, ON THE ROAD. 

THE GOOD THING WITH THAT ROAD GAME SCHEDULING? 

HOME FANS CANNOT BOO HIM IN A ROAD GAME. 

IT KEEPS THE IDIOT HOME FANS FROM BOOING HIM BEFORE HE EVEN COMPLETES HIS FIRST INNING OF WORK.

ME? I WILL BE CHEERING TONG TERRIFIC. WHY? HE IS TERRIFIC IS WHY.


Continuing my regular article before you, the reader, boo me…

Don’t just simply blame David Stearns.

Blame these two things as well:

1) The boo-bird-brain fans

2) Steve Cohen


The fans? They boo at Citi Field. Their own players. Way too much.

New players like Bo Bichette get booed. Early and often.

Just like Lindor was in his year one.

Just like Soto was in his year one.

All three sputtered in their first two Mets months. Blame the boo birds.

I heard Carlos Beltran was booed in his first Shea Stadium Mets game!

The players try not to talk about it too much.

But it slips out. The players mention the pressure.

One ex-Met, Carlos Delgado, who arrived at the same time, heard the Beltran booing and asked, “what the heck am I getting myself into?”

Remember when Edwin Diaz struggled at times? Mets fans KILLED him.

The fans simply are a clear and present danger to the success of this team.

David Stearns discounted the Boo Factor when he made too many off season changes.

When things went rocky, the fans got LOUD.  Always. Counterproductively.


Second:

Steve Cohen does not get off the hook. No.

He’s been a Mets fan about as long as me - since the 1960s.

He’s seen and heard the decades of booing. I realize it is lethal.

Steve seemingly discounted that, and OK’d the departure of boo-immune veterans like Alonso and imported those who had not been exposed to the dreaded Queens “Boo-vid virus.”

That’s how Mets’ annual death spirals start. 

Then, compounding matters, Uncle Steve refuses to move in Citi fences. 

Ignoring the boo factor, leaving the fences in pitcher-friendly dimensions, and the pressure it places on new players’ shoulders increases.

So, again, and oh, so predictably, the Mets hit worse at home. The other day:

.232 this year at home, .240 on the road.  That is a real “minus 8.”

The Boo Factor, plus pitcher-favoring dimensions.

Philly? .258 at their welcoming home park, .228 on the road. A “plus 30.”

Luis Robert failed?  Did he?

Was it in part Citi Field? .202 at home, .247 on the road.

Bichette? 

.244 at Citi, but .280 on the road, away from the Boo Bird Brains.

Normal fans love success.  Normal fans cheer, encourage. 

Queens fans? 

Too many morons who boo, and shoot themselves (and the team) in the foot.

They think, “Who else can I boo? How loud? How nasty?” 

Then those losers boo the home guys, and the losers go home as losers.

How many more seasons will they help sabotage?

The two solutions? Assuming the Mets aren’t moving to Omaha.

1) Think REALLY HARD about how new players will be impacted by boos.

2) Move fences in, to give home hitters a modest home field advantage.

    - 5-7, feet closer, except 8 feet closer in center would do the trick.

The better they hit….the less the idiots in the stands presumably will boo.

I say “presumably”, because the dummies who boo are as dumb as rocks.

You don’t like this article? 

Well, BOO-HOO TO YOU.

Brett Baty, BTW, missed a home run on Saturday by a skinny little fraction of an inch, when the ball hit the top of the fence and stayed in. Brett looked baffled and frustrated.

Adopt my suggestion, and it could have been 5-7 feet long gone instead. And Brett would have been flashing a very happy smile instead.


Last suggestion: Make every home game a Gag Night giveaway.

Give each fan a Mets gag. Suggest boo-ers wear them all game long.


Other “yesterday” notes…

Lindor, Soto, Bichette, and Benge (1 thru 4) were 0-17. Thanks, fellas.

Lindor is .191 over his last 15 games, in what is shaping up into his worst ever season. He will be 33 next year. One of his at bats yesterday was grounding out on a total meatball center-of-zone pitch with the bags full. Still time for him to spruce up his stats….his season ain’t over.

Soto? He has been very cold since his return without rehab. Even superstars need a little rehab?

Thornton (3-5) was very efficient…82 pitches, 59 strikes. SFG launched 4 HRs off of him, tho’. I guess the league is figuring out he likes to be efficient and throw lots of strikes? And boy, can those major leaguers make strikes disappear.

And…of, yeah…mission accomplished…another needed loss in the hunt for a bad record, leading to an unadulterated draft pick.

And…Ryan Lambert tossed a scoreless Brooklyn rehab inning, fanning two.

And…Elian Peña hitting just .161 in Brooklyn. Whether his hitting in Brooklyn-hell-for-lefties park has been a factor in that, one can only guess. Aiden Robbins .316 in his early goings in Brooklyn.

And…Pouncing Pitre homered and had two hits, and the hot D’Andre Smith added 2 hits for Syracuse, while Ronny Mo hit his 18th in 248 AAA at bats, as he most likely wishes again he hadn’t broken his hand foolishly diving into first base right after he replaced the injured Lindor. Syracuse lost to Rochester’s NFL team 14-9.

And… Jefferson Rojas homered, his 23rd, giving him 83 RBIs.

I’ve run out of “ANDS…”


RYAN TAYMAN, A HITTING CATCHER? 

2026 9th round Ryan Tayman, after Thursday’s St Lucie game?

.315/.422/.548.

NICE!


HERE IS A TANGIBLE REASON I HATE THE 28 MAN ROSTER RULE

It used to be 40 players max in September. 

Guys got called up. Lots of them. Some perhaps their only time ever.

Nowadays, just a stingy, crappy 28 man September expansion.

Guys not already on the MLB 40 man roster?

They stay stuck in the minors, absent an emergency.

One guy getting screwed by that stingy September roster rule this year?

Brian Metoyer. 

He is that 29 year old 40th rounder.

He has overcome much adversity and is having a fine year. His best.

As such, I’d really like to see Brian Metoyer called up to pitch. 

In 10 AAA post-promotion outings, he has been superior:

 Through Friday, 4-1 and a save. 1,54 ERA. WHIP under 1.00.

And, in 11.2 AAA innings,  a terrific 21 Ks. 

I used to think he was a soft tosser, but I saw that he was up in the “mid 95s” on a few pitches on Friday night. He’s got a MLB caliber mix.

His control is greatly improved.

Make the stingy 28 man rule a 30 man instead. Give guys like this a chance.





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Tom Brennan - Rod Carew on CONTACT VS. STRIKEOUTS; And a “Crazy” Off-Season Trade Idea?


Former Met JEFF MCNEIL 

Once Won a Batting Title 

With the Help of His Low Ks

Squirrels Think Strikeouts Are Nuts


When someone asked Hall of Famer Rod Carew about modern day hitting, it is safe to say, he is not a fan of fanning:

“This is on your modern day player and how hitting has changed. Oh, you know, I hate to see all the strikeouts. 

“You know, I used to get upset at myself when I struck out, and I had to, you know, lug that lumber back to the dugout, because I hated that.  

“I see guys strike out, you know, 200 times a year these days, they might get 25 home runs, but that's not beneficial to the club. 
Today? It's all about hitting the ball out of the ballpark. 

“They're taking a lot of these kids and I think that they're ruining these kids. And a lot of them are not gonna stay around in the big leagues for a long time, because they're not doing what I was capable of doing. 


“And I see it every day. You know, I've gotten to the point that I don't even watch baseball anymore, and I like baseball. 
I watch the Twins, because I still work for them. And I can give him some insight into some of the things that the kids are doing. 
You see the same things over and over. It's hard to watch.”


Me? 

I’ve written it a number of times here…the batting average of any player when they strike out is .000. Just ask Ryan Clifford.

Rod fanned roughly once every ten plate appearances in the big leagues, but he walked as many times as he fanned, and from 1973 to 1983, he fanned a lot less than once every 10 times up. He hit .350 or higher 5 times (highest .388 in 1977), 4 other seasons above .330, and 15 seasons above .300. 

Yet virtually no one today even attempts to emulate him. Maybe some guys should. Maybe many guys should.

Tony Gwynn’s career started later, but the two overlapped for years. They and Wade Boggs were three of a kind. 

Combined, the three played in 57 seasons. All 3 are in Cooperstown.

Yet virtually no one today seems to copy them.  Crazy.

The one point my brother Steven and I agree that we would want to ask him, though, is how Rod feels he would have fared against today’s steady diet of high velocity arms. Misiorowski. Hader. Chapman. Mason Miller.

Nolan Ryan did punch out Carew 29 times in 109 plate appearances, just to show that when speed is dialed up, it ain’t as easy.

My guess is it would have lopped 20 points off their career averages. 

And those averages would still be awesome.

Maybe Emilien Pitre and Mitch Voit will emulate them. Time will tell.


NEVER TOO EARLY FOR CRAZY OFF-SEASON TRADE IDEAS

Never too early to come up with crazy ideas, I always (never) say.

How about 60 HR Cal Raleigh, hitting a miserable .171 this year with 20 HRs, for Alvarez and Vientos?


 

REMEMBER JONAH TONG? THIS WAS HIM 

AFTER AN IMPRESSIVE WINNING START LAST SEPTEMBER 18


TONG RETURNS IN SEPTEMBER?

Why has Jonah Tong not yet been called up? 

On SNY, I heard that if he is on the MLB roster TWO MORE DAYS, he loses his rookie status for 2027. That’s why. Rules.

So do the Mets say, screw the rules, and just call him up next week against Miami, and just keep him in Queens, or do they just call him up for one day to start a game, and then send him right back down? 

I guess we will soon find out. Rules, rules, rules.




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9/5/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHSP - Nicholas Carreno

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - LHSP - Nicholas Carreno


Nicolas (or Nicholas) Carreno is a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher in the New York Mets’ minor league system, currently with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Background
  • Full name: Nicolas Gabriel Carreno
  • Born: June 9, 2006, in Barcelona, Venezuela
  • Physical: Listed at 5'10", 155 lbs (reports note he has added some weight); bats/throws left
  • Acquisition: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent in January 2023 (reportedly for a modest bonus as an undersized LHP sitting 89-91 mph at the time). Traded to the Mets on July 30, 2024, in exchange for LHP Josh Walker.
He spent time in the Dominican Summer League with both organizations, came stateside in 2025 (mostly FCL Mets with a late promotion to Low-A St. Lucie), and broke out in 2026.2026 PerformanceHe dominated at Low-A St. Lucie (roughly 1.94 ERA over 41.2 IP with 58 strikeouts in 11 appearances/6 starts) before a mid-June promotion to High-A Brooklyn. 

2026/A+ Brooklyn:  

3-3, 4.47 in 58 innings. 66 Ks, 41 BBs.

He pitched this gem in early August:


At both levels this year, opposing batters are hitting a sad .186 vs. Carreno.
Repertoire and DeliveryCarreno throws from a slingy three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action. His arsenal is primarily a three-pitch mix (no changeup currently; an earlier attempt to develop one appears paused). Data from his Low-A time (where Statcast tracking was available) shows:

  • Four-seam fastball (~28% usage): Averages ~95 mph (tops out at 98). Around 2,500 RPM spin and ~15 inches of induced vertical break. Generates some whiffs (~29%) but can be hittable when left in the zone due to command inconsistencies.
  • Two-seam/sinker (~28% usage): Averages ~94.5 mph with more arm-side run (significant horizontal break, ~13–14 inches) and less ride than the four-seamer. Better results against hitters than the four-seamer in limited data.
  • Slider (~40–44% usage — his most-used and best pitch): Averages ~86 mph (low-80s to low-90s range) with high spin (~2,680 RPM). Features sharp, cutter-like action (modest horizontal movement of 1–5 inches). Excellent whiff rates (~44% in Low-A), strong results against hitters, and better command than his fastballs. Especially effective vs. left-handed batters.
Stuff grades from available tracking place the slider around average-to-plus (Stuff+ ~105), with the fastballs closer to average. Velocity has jumped significantly since signing.Prospect OutlookScouting reports view him as a potential high-leverage lefty reliever long-term due to his size, two-pitch (or three-pitch with limited separation) profile, and command/control issues, though he has started games effectively. 

Baseball America graded him as a 45/High in a May 2026 update (fastball 50, slider 55, control 40), noting improved strike-throwing and effectiveness vs. lefties. He has appeared in some Mets organizational prospect lists in the 25–30 range midseason. 

ETA estimates vary but often point toward 2027–2028, potentially faster if moved to the bullpen. 

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