Despite the Mets’ second loss in a row to the division-rival Atlanta Braves, their young bright spot on the pitcher’s mound continued to shine.

Zac Thornton, the 24-year-old rookie, continued his successful and quality start to his MLB career on Wednesday evening, tossing six innings against the division leaders. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits while walking just one.

Thornton made it through the first frame unscathed, but surrendered a long ball to Lane Thomas in the second, giving the Braves the early lead. Another run scored in the third on a double-play fielder’s choice, and the Mets’ offense was stifled through the early stages of the game.

The fifth inning saw Thornton allow three straight hits, with another run coming across on a Ronald Acuña Jr. single. However, Thornton was able to bear down, retiring the next two batters to escape with just the one run of damage.

It wasn’t perfect, but it showed grit and determination from a young pitcher who obviously didn’t have his A-game.

“Just knowing that I have to consistently keep throwing strikes,” Thornton answered postgame when asked what his strategy is during outings where he may not have his best stuff. “Just knowing that I gotta get in there knowing that I gotta work behind on batters.”

He finished off the evening with a 1-2-3 sixth inning and came out of the game after just 80 pitches, quite the efficient six frames.

Through eight starts, Thornton has posted a 2.78 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP across 45 innings pitched. He’s allowed more than three earned runs just once in those starts and has delivered a quality start in every other outing.

Now, Baseball Savant does predict some regression. Thornton’s xERA, a stat used to estimate what his expected ERA should be compared to his actual mark, sits at 4.63, well above reality. Most of his advanced metrics, though based on a very small sample size, sit in the bottom half of league averages.

However, his pitching run value and fastball run value both sit above the 70th percentile, with his fastball run value showcasing elite potential at the 82nd percentile.

All that said, it’s far too early to compare these numbers to the reality we’ve seen on the mound. Thornton has shown grit, determination, and the stuff to take down MLB-level talent.

It’s been a confidence-boosting start to a career that the Mets will hope continues to shine through this season and, hopefully, more seasons to come.