Let’s get to know three more hot Mets pitchers:
PERIOD: 7/9 – 7/22
Felipe de la Cruz/AA-Binghamton – 0.33-WHIP, 3-IP, 5-K, 0-BB, 0-ER,
0.00
Felipe de la Cruz (born May 26, 2001, in Yamasa,
Dominican Republic) is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Mets minor league
system. He stands 6'0" and weighs 160 lbs, bats and throws left-handed.
The Mets signed him as an international free agent in March
2021. He has progressed through their system, starting in the Dominican Summer
League and advancing to higher levels.
De la Cruz has primarily worked as a starter but has seen
more relief work recently.
Overall: Around 14-27 record, ~4.14-4.16 ERA, with strong strikeout numbers.
He has posted solid strikeout rates but has been inconsistent
with command and home runs allowed at times.
Key season highlights:
2021 (DSL): Promising debut with a 3.13 ERA.
2023: Split time; strong in a brief High-A stint (2.65 ERA)
but higher ERA in full-season A ball. Named Mets MiLB Organization All-Star.
2024 (High-A Brooklyn Cyclones): 3-9, 4.25 ERA over 106 IP,
with 116 strikeouts but 45 walks. Won SAL Pitcher of the Week.
2025: Breakout momentum — strong start in Double-A Binghamton
(3.63 ERA, high K rate), then a standout Triple-A debut with Syracuse (6
scoreless IP, 9 K, 1 hit in May 2025). Earned INT Pitcher of the Week. Mixed
results overall in AAA, shifting toward relief.
2026: Mostly relief in AA/AAA with improved ERA, high
strikeouts, and lower volume as a reliever.
Scouting notes describe a four-seam
fastball/sinker (sitting mid-90s, up to 98 mph),
slider, and changeup.
His slider is a plus pitch
for many evaluators. Command has been a work in progress.
As of 2026, he is not yet on the 40-man roster and has not
debuted in MLB. He is viewed as a depth arm with upside, especially as a lefty
reliever or multi-inning option, given the Mets' occasional bullpen needs. He
remains a prospect to watch for a potential call-up if he continues performing.
He will become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season.
Jefry Yan/AAA-Syracuse – 0.60-WHIP, 3.1-IP, 4-K, 2-BB, 0-ER, 0.00
Jefry Yan (born August 17, 1996) is a left-handed relief pitcher in the
New York Mets organization.
He is 6'3" and 185 lbs, throws left, and is known for
his high strikeout stuff and energetic, viral strikeout celebrations on the
mound (like jumping and dancing).
Signed by the Angels out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.
He pitched in the DSL but underwent
Tommy John surgery, which led to his release in 2017.
Returned to affiliated ball with the Miami Marlins (around
2021–2023), showing strong strikeout numbers in the minors (e.g., 102 K in 57
IP in 2023, Southern League All-Star).
Played in NPB for the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2024 (5.58 ERA
in 37 relief appearances).
Signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies for 2025
but was released after struggling in Triple-A (7.28 ERA).
Joined the Mets on a minor league contract in August 2025. In 2026, he has dominated the minors with elite
swing-and-miss ability.
He has posted swinging-strike rates well above MLB averages
for relievers, with fastball velocity in the mid-to-upper 90s (up to triple
digits reported in some contexts).
Yan is a high-upside, high-risk reliever. His elite strikeout
ability (far above average) comes with command problems. He has never appeared
in a Major League game but is now in the Mets' system as a depth option who
could get a call-up, especially if the big-league bullpen needs help.
He's had a long, winding journey through multiple
organizations, Japan, and injuries, but his stuff has kept him in the game
Austin Brown/FCL Mets – 0.82-WHIP, 3.2-IP, 6-K, 0-BB, 0-ER, 0.00
Austin Brown is a 21-year-old right-handed pitching prospect in the
New York Mets organization (full name: Austin Michael Brown; born January 10,
2005, in O'Fallon, Illinois).
He stands 6'5" and weighs 165 lbs, with a switch-hitter
batting profile but throws right-handed.
Brown pitched at Chipola College (a junior college in
Florida).
In 2025 (his sophomore year), he posted solid numbers: 5-3
record, 4.46 ERA over 11 games (mostly starts), with 52 strikeouts in 42.1
innings.
The Mets signed him as a minor-league free agent on July 21,
2025.
He has dealt with
injuries early in his pro career:
Signed and assigned to the FCL Mets (rookie-level Florida
Complex League) in July 2025.
Spent time on the
injured list in 2025 and was placed on the 60-day IL in March 2026 before activation in early July 2026.
Through limited appearances in the FCL in 2026, he has been
extremely impressive in small samples.
As a tall, projectable right-hander coming out of junior
college, he has significant upside due to his frame (room to add strength) and
pitchability.
Pre-draft/pro signing reports noted good fastball velocity
for his age/level (up to the upper 80s in high school/early college) and strong
breaking balls with spin.
His command and strike-throwing ability stand out.
2 comments:
Yan is an enigma…can he throw enough strikes?
The Felipe de La Cruz career win/loss record is another reason I lower the innings needed for a starter win in the minors from 5 to 4.
A guy who throws a dominant 4 innings and gets pulled, he gets an ND. At the same time, every bad start where the team loses accrues to him. Very misleading.
I’d even make it 3 innings for a starter in the minors, frankly. Why?
A guy can pitch well into the 4th inning, but get pulled by over zealous managers looking at pitch counts. If you pitch for a team like Brooklyn that, over the years, can’t even put a run up on the board for 4-5 innings, your win totals are snuffed. So, for instance, in 2024, Brooklyn starters went 22-36, 3.58, while relievers went 43-31, 4.28. Relievers got 56% of the decisions that year.
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