MACK - Let’s Get To Know – RHP Nate Isler

 

Nate Isler (full name Nathan Lincoln Isler, pronounced “EYES-ler”) is a right-handed pitcher drafted by the New York Mets in the 10th round (300th overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft out of Dartmouth College.

Born: October 25, 2004 (age 21 as of August 2026), in Charlottesville, Virginia; raised in Milton, Georgia.

6-foot-6, 230–235 lbs; bats/throws right.

High school: Cambridge High School (Milton, GA). Region Pitcher of the Year as a senior; rated among the top 30 right-handers in Georgia by Perfect Game. He showed projectable size, a clean delivery, and fastball velocity that climbed into the low-to-mid 90s by the end of high school.

Summer ball: Pitched in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (Vermont Mountaineers in 2024, Upper Valley Nighthawks in 2025) and briefly with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Cape Cod League) in 2026.

He signed with the Mets for an under-slot bonus of $148,500 (slot value was ~$195,200) and has begun his professional career in the Mets’ system.

Career college totals: 2-11, 6.89 ERA, 141 IP, 140 SO, 53 BB. His junior year was a clear breakout in strikeout rate (11.1 K/9) and overall effectiveness, including career-high 11-strikeout games against Princeton and Yale, plus a 9.2-inning outing vs. Columbia.

Isler throws a four-pitch mix with good size and angle from a high three-quarters arm slot and a relatively low-effort, repeatable delivery:

Four-seam fastball: 92–95 mph (touches 96 early in outings; sits 92–94 later). Works downhill with extension. In a recent pro appearance it was tracked at 90.7 mph with ~2,140 rpm spin.

Slider: 80–85 mph (most commonly reported 82–85).

Curveball: 78–79 mph (11/5 shape in high school; still used in college).

Changeup / split-change: 81–85 mph (described as a changeup or “split change” by scouts including MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo).

Scouting notes from 2026 (notably from Northeast evaluator Brian Recca) highlight the velocity and the four-pitch mix during his strong final college starts. He generates solid strikeouts with the combination of size, downhill plane, and secondary pitches, though command and consistency improved notably as a junior.

In short, Isler is a big-framed college righty with mid-90s velocity and a usable four-pitch mix who took a significant step forward in his draft year. 

Tom Brennan - There Are Always Bumps Along the Way

HITTERS SOMETIMES HAVE BLOW OUTS ON THE RACE TO THE PINNACLE

Especially when you challenge a very young hitter with quick promotions, there will sometimes be sharp bumps in the road along the way.

Take Elian Peña, last year’s DSL darling, who led off for Brooklyn and had a base hit last night. So, what bump?

He also fanned 5 times. His Sombrero was super-sized. 

But that sort of hiccup is to be expected on occasion for an 18 y/o.

Some guys have had bumps, but then hit a stretch of smooth asphalt.

Such as much-maligned Jack Wenninger, who threw 5 hitless innings and fanned 6. 

Be NICER to Jack. He will be in Queens in 2027, doing damage.

Some guys confound, though. Bumps? What bumps?

Take, for instance, 19th rounder Jack Smith III, who had 3 hits in his 13th minor league game. Amazingly he is 7 for 12 since his lightning speed promotion in Brooklyn. Maybe he needs another bump UP.

His “brother from another mother” Aiden Smith had 3 hits, and in 14 Brooklyn games, ripping at .330/.446/.660 since the trades.

Bump-free Aiden Smith tarmac. Ready for AA, I’d say.

Chase Meggers is tearing up Brooklyn too, since his promotion. 10-32, with 4 walks, and just 7 Ks, after his 3 for 5 night. 

 - Great name for a future Mets backstop, if you ask me.

Yonaton Henriquez has had a very bumpy 2026, but not last night for Brooklyn - he did the bumping: 3 for 5, 5 RBIs, 4 runs scored. 

He is 21, so be patient.

Brooklyn scored 16 runs on 20 hits IN ASHEVILLE, which is a South Atlantic League hitters’ heaven. They all want to relocate there, no doubt. And why not? Asheville hitters are averaging 7.5 runs per game at home this season.

And, of yeah, some guys are just GOOD, like AA Jefferson Rojas, who homered, had 2 hits, drove in 3. They always drive on smooth asphalt. He needs to drive on smooth Syracuse asphalt.

JT Benson gets little ink, but drove in 4 for Bingo, and now has an Alonso-pace 59 RBIs in 312 at bats. So, here is some ink, JT.

In St Lucie, Mr Robbins (.275) hit his second. He is coming along.

I am done, except to say, Mets lost last night. Can’t win them all.

Reese Kaplan -- What Do You Expect During the 2027 Season?

If you want to open up a protracted debate among fellow Mets fans ask them what is the plan for 2027? 

On the one hand, you have the folks anxious to see the club return to transition as quickly as possible.  After Andy Green took over for Carlos Mendoza and had the team playing an eyelash over .500 this group has begun to foster “true believer” vibes.  It is indeed exciting to see stars like Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette starting to play as everyone had come to expect of them.  Juan Soto is another massive bat who will be back at some point as well.  Then add in the bats of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing to the mix and you can see where some of this optimism took root.

On the pitching side of the ledger the Mets had flat out awful performances from starting pitchers Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Tobias Meyers and others.  When your club wasn’t hitting at all and your starting staff handing over insurmountable leads via hits and walks it became increasingly understandable why the Mets sat firmly alone in the NL East cellar.

Then the bullpen was gutted along with starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes shipped out of town.  Everyone figured that the team was throwing in the towel on 2026 and the hope was that one or two of the multitude of newly acquired prospects could turn themselves into at least average quality major leaguers. 

Unforeseen by pretty much anyone was the turnaround by the starting rotation and the reworked bullpen stepping things up big time.  Everyone expected quality out of Nolan McLean and Christian Scott.  They were less certain about Zac Thornton.  No one was ready for Sean Manaea to begin to pitch like a sub 4.00 ERA pitcher.  The final slot has temporarily been given to retread Robert Stock and no one is really sure which version of him will take the mound every fifth day.

Now the bullpen is where everyone expected them to arrive into the games spraying kerosene and gasoline on whatever fires were already burning things down.  Instead they have been rather commendable..  With Devin Williams out with shoulder issues (which MIGHT account for his less than stellar past couple of seasons), Kodai Senga has by necessity been moved into a closer’s role and has looked better than he had as a starter.  Newcomers Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, Jonathan Pintaro and Jefry Yan have all of the sudden given the team some surprisingly capable arms while others out there continue to struggle. 

The flip side of the go for it in 2027 approach is the long view of folks mostly in AA or recently promoted to AAA who likely are not ready to begin next season in Queens.  This group would instead live with guys like Jared Young, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco while treading water in anticipation of the youngsters who will follow to reinforce the club.  This group wants some obvious reinforcements to the daily roster, rotation and pen, but they are not expecting next year’s Mets team to be playing in October.  2028 and beyond, however, is definitely a part of that vision.  Expect mid tier free agent interest as well as trade packages proposed for regular players not necessarily of the All Star level.  Again, this approach is about the long term, not winning it all in 2027.

Where do you stand?

MACK - Let's Get To Know - IF - Branny De Oleo

 

The New York Mets promoted IF Branny De Oleo from A-St. Lucie to AA-Binghamton

Branny Steven De Oleo is a 21-year-old shortstop (and utility infielder) in the New York Mets’ minor-league system.

Basic Info

• Born: May 15, 2005, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Listed Height/Weight: 6'1", 156 lbs
• Bats/Throws: Right/Right
• Position: Primarily SS; also played 2B and 3B (and some outfield in 2026)
• The Mets signed him as an international free agent (undrafted free agent) on January 15, 2023, to a minor-league contract. He was a relatively low-bonus/older signing in that class. He made an immediate impact in his pro debut. 
• In 2023 with the DSL Mets Blue (Dominican Summer League, Rookie level), he hit .313/.403/.476 with 3 HR, 25 RBI, and 6 SB in 46 games. He showed strong contact skills (only ~9% strikeout rate), athleticism, and projection for added power. Scouts noted his range, arm, and instincts at shortstop. Baseball America called him a “sleeper prospect” and one of the Mets’ more pleasant developmental stories that year; he ranked as high as the Mets’ No. 24 prospect in some 2024 rankings.

nj.com

Performance Since ThenHe struggled after moving to the U.S. stateside complexes:

• 2024 (FCL Mets, Rookie): .209/.284/.302, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 4 SB, 42 games.
• 
  
• 2025 (FCL Mets, Rookie): .194/.291/.290, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 16 SB, 44 games.
• 
  

In 2026 (first full season at Single-A with St. Lucie), through about 80 games he posted .229/.309/.353 with 7 HR, 40 RBI, and 10 SB (302 PA). His strikeout rate rose notably (~27.5%), though he showed some power and speed. He had a solid stretch in May (.292/.346/.500 in one report) and hit a go-ahead two-run homer in a May 2026 win over Palm Beach. Overall career minor-league line: roughly .239 AVG, 13 HR, 36 SB in ~695 AB.

baseballsavant.mlb.com

OutlookDe Oleo is a developmental project with tools (athleticism, defensive potential at short, room to add strength/power). Contact and consistency have been issues at higher levels so far, and he is not currently viewed as a top prospect in the Mets system. He remains a long-shot organizational player who could develop further if he refines his approach and adds physical strength.

Reese Kaplan -- For the Mets DH Means "Doesn't Hit"

Back in 2022 the National League caught up to the American League and adopted the use of the designated hitter instead of watching pitchers attempt to bunt or flail helplessly at professionally thrown pitches.  I’m not going to debate the pros and cons of that decision, but instead will take a look at how our favorite franchise has embraced it in the attempt to win ballgames.

For that initial DH season the Mets opted to use a platoon combination of J.D. Davis and Dom Smith to man this newly created role.  The best laid plans, of course, don’t always work out as expected and for the pre trade deadline period the Mets notched a combined total of just 4 HRs and a less than whopping 24 RBIs.  Eventually Davis was sent packing and Smith got to feast on the best food Syracuse had to offer.

In their place was midseason portly thumper Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a minor league reliever named Colin Holderman.  Considering the run production missing from the DH role, a guy who in 2019 hit 30 HRs for the Mariners kind of seemed like a potentially good fit to bolster the lackluster offense from the DH.

During his first season as a Met he did manage to hit 6 HRs and drive in 35 for the remainder of the season and while it was far from perfect, it seemed like they might be onto something.  Holderman is still playing (unlike Vogelbach) and this year for Cleveland has a 2.39 ERA. 

Unfortunately it never got any better.  In 2023 he got more ABs but still only produced 13 HRs and 48 RBIs in more than 300 ABs in that role.  He was not the guy giving the Mets what they needed out of the DH position and he was sent packing after being non tendered when the season ended. 

In 2024 the club took a last minute home run swing by inking still unsigned DH extraordinaire J.D. Martinez.  He got a late start to preseason and thus a late start to his regular work in that role.  While he was not the routine embarrassment the Mets had seen in the past, he never measured up to his regular season metrics.  For his 2024 salary of $12 million at age 36 he contributed an improved 16 HRs and 69 RBIs over 120 games but that was only slightly better than half of what he’d done the previous season.  He retired after the 2024 year came to a close.

From there it got even worse.  In 2025 the Mets rotated behind the unholy trio of Starling Marte, Mark Vientos and Jesse Winker, again not delivering cleanup level hitting from the three of them combined.  In 2026 it’s been an even larger slate of rotating DH candidates that included Mark Vientos, Jared Young, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco, Juan Soto and Luis Robert.  Obviously they’ve gone backwards.

So that brings us to planning for the 2027 season.  Assuming they non-tender Robert and dump Vientos, it would leave perpetually injured Polanco who has a $20 million deal as the primary DH to preserve his fragile health.  Other than David Stearns, no one else is happy with this plan. 

For a point of comparison the Mets once extended at contract worth $10 million for end-of-his-baseball-life infielder Jed Lowrie who contributed 7 ABs for the entire 2019 season.  Instead of learning from this mistake, the club doubled down on both annual compensation and number of years of commitment when decided Polanco was the right guy to fortify the offense (though originally the plan was to play him at 1B instead of at DH). 

It would appear that the Mets might have to look outside the organization for another DH option if they still feel Polanco has a future at 1B.  There are always hitters available but just because they are on the open market in free agency doesn’t guarantee they will perform as they have done historically. 

The available free agents (some of which have mutual options with their current teams) include Miguel Andujar, Josh Bell, Marcell Ozuna, Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, George Springer, Eugenio Suarez and Seiya Suzuki.  There has also been some mention of Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato being posted as a foreign free agent, too.

Internally it is possible to use Jared Young if Polanco gets 1B.  After that the choices are either too far down in the minors or not deemed ready for prime time like Ryan Clifford.  

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

                                                                 

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

 

Thoughts

 

I think I saw the beginning of the development of the 2027 Mets bullpen.

Monday brought a wonderful start by Nolan McLean (6-IP, 1-ER), but the highlight for me was the three scoreless innings tossed by Jonathan Pintaro, Nate Lavender, and Daniel Duarte… combined 3.0-IP, 1-H, 0-R, 1-BB, 2-K. Add to this existing 2027 contracts Kodai Senga and Devin Williams and you now have five potential members of the 2027 pen. The return of both Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett off the IL move this number up to seven, leaving Tobias Meyers, Dedniel Nunez, and Austin Warren to flght it out for slot #8.

 

Whattayathink?

Promotions

 

AA-Binghamton IF Émilien Pitre to AAA-Syracuse

AAA-Syracuse 3B Christopher Morel to MLB-Mets

A-St. Lucie SS Elian Pena to A+ Brooklyn

AA-Binghamton Billy Amick to AAA-Syracuse

A+ Brooklyn RHP Luke Gabrysh to AA-Binghamton

A+ Brooklyn IF Jamari Baylor to AA-Binghamton

AAA-Syracuse INF Eric Wagaman promoted to MLB-Mets

MLB-Mets RHP Austin Warren was reinstated from the 15-day IL

A-St. Lucie IF Branny De Oleo promoted to AA-Binghamton

AA-Binghamton OF D’Andre Smith promoted to AAA-Syracuse

AA-Binghamton LHP Gabriel Rodriguez activated from DL

 

Prospect Color Changes

A-St. Lucie OF John Smith III - BLACK to BLUE.

A-St. Lucie IF Vladi Gomez – RED to BLUE

 

Minor Tidbits

It is getting harder, as the season begins to wind down, to determine  which starting pitchers in the chain are ready to help Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton in the 2027 starting rotation. A scouting friend of mine currently has McLean, at best being an SP-2 candidate, mainly due to his on-again, off-again dominance this year. “He just can’t seem to get this number of pitches thrown thing down this year” was the actual text sent me. As for Scott, he has him in the SP-3/4 range and Thornton, at best an SP/5.

So, my question to you… after watching the piss poor performances by Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger, throw in the same kind of review for Jonathan Santucci, the failure of both Tobias Myers and Dakota Hawkins, and all other prospect starters being, at least one affiliate away… what are your suggestions going forward???

The Amick/Brennan debate continues… Tom is stuck on who should be accredited with being the Met minor leaguer with the most home runs. 1B Billy Amick/AA-Binghamton is now up to 7-Mets homers in 46 at-bats… but he came to the Mets from another AA team, where he hit 23 home runs also this season. When asked the question, Tom does not give Amick for having the most. Me? Amick has 30 AA home runs this year which “leads” the Mets. So, I ask you… what Met minor leaguer has the most home runs this season? 

And… why is someone that has hit 30 AA home runs and 94-RBI this season still playing at this level?

 Well, the bottom line is the fact that this debate is now over. Amick was promoted to AAA-Syracuse before the start of this week’s games.

 

Simply put, you can’t get excited with the stat-lines of the DSL bats because the pitching at that level is so undeveloped. And yet, there is 19/yr old DSL-Orange SP Abner Meza. On this past Friday, Meza went 5.0-IP, 1-H, 0-ER, 4-K, raising his seasonal stat line to 11-G, 5-2, 1.81, 0.97, 49.2-IP, 50-K. This raised his 2/yr. DSL line to 23-G, 9-5, 2.24, 1.04, 88.1-IP, 82-K. So I ask… why isn’t this hombre eating dinner at Duffy’s tonight?

 

Jefferson Rojas. Mitch Voit. Elian Pena. Jacob Reimer. Sammy Stafura. Emilien Pitre. Wandy Asigen. This is far too many infielders for the future Flushing infield. Let’s remember, Francisco Lindor is going to play one of these three infield positions. Let’s say 2027 is an experimental year. So I ask you… what two of seven players I listed above will be in the starting 2028 infield? Me? Have no friggin idea.

 

So, what is the Mets going to do about AAA-Syracuse 1B/OF Ryan Clifford? 

He finished off last week 0-9, 8-K, which created a 1-14, 26-K stat-line over his last 11 games. If this guy was a racehorse, they would shoot him on the track. The current Syracuse first base situation is Clifford, Nick Lorusso, and Billy Amick. Are we to expect that the homerun hitting crazy guy would be promoted there and sat down, so Clifford could strike out. No way, Jose. 

On my team, Amick and Lorusso will split 1B/DH duties while Clifford is designated for assignment, released, or euthanized… I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but once I recognize that something was wrong, I more on and never think about it again. The Cohenstearns Boys need to do more here than placing him on the DL.

 

In Closing

I really wanted the Mets to have one of the six worst records this season, but that just doesn’t seem to be in the picture anymore. To me, the resurgence has been centered around the steady hitting of Benge/Ewing, the steady Eddie at-bats of Jared Young, the resurgence of Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette, and the return of Sean Manaea and his rotation buddies to being relevant.

In addition, it’s now exciting to follow the chain, especially the Binghamton Mets. Just about every move David Stearns made is proving out to be a good one.

Most field positions have so many future options right now and my guess is that 2027 will be the only year that all of you have to sweat the small stuff anymore. There seems to be a kind of ballplayer that is taking over this team.  Kind of player like the psycho-twins Carson Benge and AJ Ewing. Have you ever seen more fan excitement for two .260 hitters? Well, .260 in 2026 is a good thing in this game and expect all future major league additions on this team to be designed in this mode. 

MACK - Let’s Get to Know – 2B Jake Ogden

 

Let’s Get to Know – 2B Jake Ogden

On August 18^th, the St. Lucie Mets activated 2B Jake Ogdin.

Jake Ogden is a right-handed throwing and batting infielder (primarily shortstop/second base/third base) who signed with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent (UDFA) in July 2026 after his senior season at the University of Miami.

Born January 20, 2004, in Homestead, Florida; attended Coral Reef High School.

Height/weight: 6'0", about 189–195 lbs.

College Career2023 (Freshman, Barry University – DII): Hit .322 with 8 HR, 38 RBI in 52 games; Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year.

2024 (Sophomore, UNC Greensboro): Started all 54 games (mostly 3B); .313/.385/.482 with 8 HR, 45 RBI, 16 SB.

2025 (Junior, Miami): Transferred to Miami; started all 62 games (mostly SS); .336/.402/.500 with 9 HR, 63 R, 84 H, 14 doubles, 13-for-13 SB. Led the team in several categories; Brooks Wallace Award (top collegiate shortstop) semifinalist. Returned for 2026 after going undrafted in 2025.

2026 (Senior, Miami): Continued as a key infielder (SS/2B); strong performances included ACC Player of the Week honors in early April after a hot stretch (e.g., .538 in a series vs. Virginia Tech). Season stats were solid overall

He also played in the Cape Cod League (Harwich Mariners) in 2024, earning All-Star recognition.

After the 2026 MLB Draft, Ogden signed with the Mets as a. He joins the organization as a versatile middle infielder with contact skills, speed, and defensive reliability from a strong ACC program.

Ogden is known as a high-character, high-effort player who overcame being overlooked and personal health challenges to become a productive college contributor. 

Ogden played his first 2026 game this past Tuesday, going 0-4 (.000, .000-OPS)

Tom Brennan - Yesterday’s Mostly Dandy Action

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS PLAYING BETTER THAN IN JUNE

Mets win, again, making it 11 of 15 wins since the staff was heavily gutted at the deadline, with their closer and their most dangerous hitter on the IL. CRAZY.

Benge homered. #15. He is a superstar. We all see that now.

Kodai “the Saves Guy” Senga is perfect in save opportunities - 100% - while Mariano Rivera only managed 90%.

So, Senga is clearly the best closer ever. 

AAA Syracuse took a dump, losing 9-7.

Santucci got spanked in the 5th, after 4 good innings.

In AA, Collins and sizzling Vargas each had 3 hits, including a HR. 4 other hitters had 2 hits apiece. A 10-6shellacking.  140 runs for rampaging Binghamton in 17 games, batting .309. Dang, bro.

Marco Vargas is not letting people forget him. He is a nearly .400 25 for his last 66, with 4 HR and 18 RBI. BETTER THAN MARCO SCUTARO?

High A Brooklyn, they lost 7-6, but the story of the night was John Smith III, who in his first High A game was 3-4 and a walk! How does a recent 19th round left fielder get all the way to High A to Brooklyn after just 41 St Lucie at bats? And then get on base FOUR times. Applause.

St Lucie got shellacked 11-1, and its players have been henceforth banned from entering Home Depot to prevent further shellacking.

Tomorrow, it will be Friday, but there are more games scheduled for today.

Paul Articulates – Billy Amick bursts upon the scene

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to some of the new Mets that came over at the trade deadline.  You have heard from several of them so far.  Here is number five:

Today’s highlight is Billy Amick, who came over in the Twins trade that sent AJ Minter to Minnesota.  Amick is the only one of the five that was not ranked in the top 30 prospects upon arrival, but that doesn’t mean that he was flying under the radar.  As a AA player with the Wichita club, Amick had an .820 OPS with 23 HR and 72 RBI and was among the top power hitters in all of AA this season.  Upon his arrival in Binghamton, Amick continued to blast balls over the fence, accumulating 30 for the season before being quickly promoted to AAA Syracuse.  

The Rumble Ponies media director appreciated Amick’s readiness to talk with the media – called him a pro.  Amick saw plenty of media coverage when he starred for the University of Tennessee team that won the 2024 National Championship.  Here is the interview:

Q: How does it feel to have such a great offensive night to announce yourself to Binghamton? <note: in his first game in Binghamton, the Ponies won 23-3 with Amick going 3-for-4 with two HR and 6 RBI>

A: It was exciting last night.  We had a good offensive night and the pitchers threw well so there were a lot of good vibes in the locker room.   

Q: How would you describe your game for people who haven’t seen you play?

A: Just doing what it takes to help my team win every single day.  Showing up every day as the same person. That’s what it is all about.

Q: What are your thoughts on joining a new organization?

A: It is nerve racking for sure. I’m kind of quiet so it takes me a while to remember all the names and be myself, but it was really easy coming over to the Mets and I am very excited to be able to play.

Q: In your progression on your way to the ultimate goal of playing in MLB, what would you consider success this year?

A: I would say just getting better every single day.  I would not point to anything particular that I believe is a weakness, but getting better as a baseball player and helping the team win is what I am here for.

Q: How do you like the coaching staff so far?

A: They have been great. They have all been good to me and they have done a great job of welcoming all the new players and getting us acclimated.