17. Jonathan
Santucci
2025: A+/AA:
25-G, 23-ST, 9-4, 3.06, 1.15, 117.2-IP, 41-BB, 138-K
GROK
-
Jonathan
Santucci is a highly
regarded left-handed pitching prospect in the New York Mets organization,
selected in the second round (46th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Duke
University.
Born on
December 28, 2002, in Leominster, Massachusetts, the 6'2", 205-pound
southpaw bats and throws left-handed.
Santucci
signed for the full slot value of $2,031,700
Attended
Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he was Massachusetts' top
prep pitching prospect in 2021. He also showed athleticism as a two-way player,
occasionally playing center field and right field.
At Duke, he
transitioned fully to pitching and earned a spot in the weekend rotation as a
freshman in 2022, posting a 4.17 ERA over 41 innings with 58 strikeouts and 20
walks.
His sophomore
year (2023) was abbreviated by a fractured elbow requiring surgery to remove
bone chips, limiting him to 29.1 innings with 50 strikeouts but highlighting
his strikeout prowess (13.9 K/9 career at Duke).
As a junior in 2024, he rebounded as Duke's
Friday night ace, logging a 3.41 ERA in 58 innings across 13 starts with a 35%
strikeout rate but a 14% walk rate—issues with control that contributed to high
pitch counts and kept him out of the first round of the draft. A mid-season rib
injury (non-throwing side) also sidelined him for three starts late in the
year.
Professional
Career
Santucci
didn't pitch in the Florida Complex League (FCL) after signing in August 2024.
In 2025, his
first full pro season, he advanced rapidly: starting in Low-A, moving to
High-A, and reaching Double-A Binghamton by mid-year, where he was activated as
of August.
Health
remains a watch point, given his injury history, but his athleticism and
mechanics suggest he could improve his below-average control (scouted at 45/80)
to average levels with coaching.
Pitch
Repertoire
Santucci's
arsenal is built around swing-and-miss stuff, earning him a career 13.9 K/9 in
college. He works from a high arm slot with a flat approach angle, generating
carry and deception.
Scouting
grades (on the 20-80 scale) include: Fastball 60, Slider 60, Changeup 55,
Control 45, Overall 45.
Four-Seam
Fastball
92-96 mph
Features
impressive induced vertical break (carry) and armside run; elite against
college hitters for whiffs due to flat plane and high slot. Effective to both
sides of the plate.
Primary pitch
(50-60% usage); challenges with command lead to walks and deep counts. Mets may
add a sinker or cutter for early-contact outs.
Slider
82-85 mph
(low-80s at times)
Wipeout
breaking ball with sharp, two-plane break (lateral and vertical);
platoon-neutral, devastating vs. right-handers (56% whiff rate in 2024). Snappy
at best, but can flatten if overthrown.
Key secondary
(30-40% usage); thrown with fastball arm speed for deception; equalizer for his
control issues.
Changeup
Mid- to
upper-80s
Shows
arm-side fade and vertical tumble; above-average potential with good arm speed
replication, but inconsistent command.
Tertiary
pitch (9-10% usage); mostly vs. right-handers later in games; sparingly thrown
but effective when located.
11-7-2025
JUST BASEBALL
10. Jonathan Santucci – LHP – (Double-A)
Height/Weight:
6’2″, 195 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 2nd Round (46) – NYM (2024) | ETA: 2027
A southpaw
with an exciting fastball, slider combination Santucci had plenty of first
round buzz heading into his draft year before a rib injury and command issues
pushed him to the second round. Santucci looked like a first round talent in
his first pro season, cutting down the walk rate and improving as the season
progressed, dominating at Double-A in the second half.
Arsenal
Santucci gets
above average carry on a 94-95 MPH fastball, generating above average whiff
numbers within the zone. His gyro slider pairs well with his fastball with the
vertical action to make it effective to both lefties and righties, with strong
whiff and ground ball rates. He commands the slider better than any of his
offerings, with a strike rate of nearly 70% in 2025.
The southpaw
is still looking for a consistent third offering, with his low 80s curveball
looking more reliable than his firm upper 80s changeup. The shape of his
curveball is similar to that of Noah Cameron’s, flashing at least average, but
without much consistency and less than 10% usage.
Outlook
Santucci’s
2025 season has him rising up the Mets ranks as the best left-handed pitching
prospect in their system. Though the control improved mightily in his pro
debut, Santucci’s command is still a work in progress, with a strike rate of
just 61% on all offerings other than his slider.
The fastball,
slider combination gives Santucci the floor of an effective left-handed
reliever, but his improved ability to throw strikes and at least signs of a
third offering have earned him plenty of runway as a starting pitching prospect
where he could be a quality No. 4 starter if it comes together.
11-23-2025 –
Angry @AngryMike24
Mets Jonathan Santucci had 19 outings in 2025, allowing
3 ER or fewer for HI-A & AA:
97.2 IP | 23
ER | 52 Hits | 30 BB | 116 K | 2.13 ERA | 0.84 WHIP
29% K-Rate
for ‘25
#’s on par or
better than any LHP ranked among Top 100, but Santucci remains unranked. Absurd.
12-20-2025 –
MACK/MM
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.
12-5-2025
Angry
Mike/MM
JON
SANTUCCI -> He’d be
the #1 SP prospect for a lot of other franchises, he’s penciled for AAA.
-> What new pitches will he deploy in 2026? Will we see an increase in usage of his curveball and changeup in 2026? Any chance Santucci gets a look as a RP if the #Mets want to add another dynamic weapon for the bullpen?
1-13-2026
Angry
Mike/MM @AngryMike24
Mets Jonathan Santucci final 21 Outings & Z.
Thornton 2025 Stats compared to MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 LHP:
<-> Mets J. Santucci -> Final 21 Outings in
‘25: Hi-A & AA:
-> 16 / 21
Outings of at least 5+ IP
-> 14 / 16
Outings of 5+ IP allowed 2 ER or fewer
105.2 IP | 28
ER | 124 K | 36 BB | 76 H | 2.40 ERA | 1.07 WHIP
-> 29% K-RATE
| 8.5% BB-RATE
5 comments:
I love “Santucci the Superb”, the 46th overall pick in 2024 and rank him as 8th best after the departures of Williams and Sproat. Doubts, if any, that others have about Santucci, I do not have. Rising like a rocket. Top 5 in late 2026 is my projection. Mets starter in 2027.
After his tough first 6 of 2025, he flipped the Awesome switch and ended up 9-4, allowing just 2 HRs over his last 100 innings (what!!), and just 21 earned runs in that span, while fanning 138 in 118 innings. Did great in AA, concluding with 4.2 innings of 1 run ball in the AA Championship playoffs. A great lefty starting pitcher prospect, and a great draft pick. Rated with a 55 grade fastball and 60 grade slider. Superb.
My guess is he will be a David Peterson or Sean Manaea rotation replacement by 2027. Maybe mid season. Almost better than either of them right now? One could debate that.
Big fan of him. Expect a killer 2026 and part of the 2027 rotation
Was Santucci elevated to play for the Mets in Port St. Lucie for spring training? Will we be seeing him this spring pitch for the Mets in Grapefruit League play?
Santucci is NOT invited to camp: however, there.is always an outside chance he gets in a game or two
I am very confident that we will see Santucci pitch at least a few innings. I personally think that if the Mets were a low-budget, small market team and we’re short of starting pitching, they’d try to force feed Santucci into the majors at the start of the season as a starter and let him take his lumps. But we shall see how it goes with Santucci - it is not a matter of if it’s a matter of one.
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