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.

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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.
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• 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.

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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.”
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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.