Daniel Duarte, RP
Player Data: Age: 29 (12/04/1996)
B/T: R/R
2026 Traditional Stats: 24 G, 29 2/3 IP, 2.12 ERA, 0.809 WHIP, 2-0, 30 K, 7 BB
2026 Advanced Stats: 193 ERA+, 26.8% K%, 6.3% BB%, 2.87 xERA, 3.20 FIP, 3.72 xFIP, 0.6 fWAR, 1.1 bWAR
2027 Contract Status: Pre-arbitration
Grade: A-
2026 Review
Daniel Duarte wasn’t expected to be a factor in the Mets’ plans in 2026. He didn’t pitch at all in 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery. He was given a minor league contract from the Mets in December and didn’t factor into the competition for the final major league roster spot. Duarte was called up to the major league roster in May, but was sent back to Triple-A after one appearance. He was recalled in June, but was again sent back to Syracuse after two appearances. The Mets brought Duarte back to the majors in late July, and this time he stuck around as the Mets dealt away Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter ahead of the trade deadline. When Devin Williams was placed on the injured list, Duarte was thrust into a high-leverage role, becoming the setup man for Kodai Senga.
Duarte made the most of his opportunity, racking up six holds and a pair of saves in the month of August. Factoring in his cups of coffee earlier in the season, he went unscored upon in 19 of his 24 appearances. He pitched more than an inning nine times, and stranded seven of the 10 runners he inherited. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury cut his season short, but 2026 was a massive success for Duarte.
Duarte relied on a five-pitch mix – a cutter, sweeper, four-seam fastball, sinker and changeup. His sweeper, four-seamer and sinker all generated strong results, with the sweeper holding opponents to a .076 xBA and .181 xSLG with a 35.4% whiff rate and plus-3 run value. His four-seamer registered a .121 xBA and .168 xSLG with a plus-2 run value despite being thrown just 73 times. Duarte’s sinker produced similar results to his four-seamer, producing a plus-3 run value over just 68 pitches. His cutter was the lone pitch that produced a negative run value, getting tagged for a .314 and .525 xSLG. While he didn’t generate many ground balls, Duarte excelled at limiting hard contact, recording just a 24.3% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 83.2 mph. Duarte’s average fastball velocity (94.1 mph) and whiff rate (22.5%) were both below league average, but he generated an elite 39.2% chase rate, which helped him record an above-average 26.8% strikeout rate. Duarte had struggled with control in his previous stints in the majors (14.7% walk rate in 2023), but issued just seven free passes in 2026. In a year in which many of the Mets’ free-agent signings struggled, Duarte provided a feel-good story.
2027 Preview
Duarte did enough in 2026 to prove he deserves a roster spot in 2027. As of right now, he would again be a high-leverage arm, though it’s hard to imagine David Stearns and company not adding another arm or two to the bullpen. Even if Duarte isn’t as perfect as he was in 2026, he should be viewed as a solid option going forward.
