The Mets had never drafted a player from the University of Central Florida before the fifth round. That changed in 2025 when the opportunity to add Jimenez to their organization came along.

The club poached the draft-eligible sophomore with their third-round pick, 102nd overall, in the 2025 MLB Draft, inking him to a bonus worth $564,000. Jimenez joined UCF alums Alex Freeland, Dylan Moore, Ben Lively, and Edian Espinal in professional ball.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

After a season where the infielder slashed .329/.407/.575, he was named among the top 100 collegiate shortstops by way of the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, a grouping of players headed by the premier selections of the 2025 draft and the potential top picks from the 2026 draft class.

Being in the same conversation with Wehiwa Aloy, Aiva Arquette, Roch Cholowsky, and Justin Lebron is certainly always a good thing.

Shortly after his nomination, Jimenez, along with Mets’ 2025 first-round pick Mitch Voit, appeared in MLB Draft’s Combine, a relatively new mid-season event where players can impress scouts and clubs can gather additional data on eligible draftees.

After a brief stint with the Low-A St.Lucie Mets to conclude his 2025 season, Jimenez and Voit were selected to start the 2026 season with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Despite their brief time in the Mets’ system, both have impressed Cyclones’ manager Eduardo Nunez early on; the skipper called them both hard workers during the campaign’s opening series.

Nunez confirmed that Jimenez is expected to play in a multi-positional capacity throughout the year.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Antonio about the draft process, his journey to get to professional baseball, and the insights he’s gained from his time in the Mets’ organization.

MMO: Talk to me a little bit about the draft process. You were selected [in the third round] last year. Did you know the Mets were interested in you? What was that process like?

Jimenez: A lot has changed in the last year. After my freshman year, I was able to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League and started getting attention from scouts. I was blessed enough to be able to do well there. I joined the transport portal and headed to UCF. There, I learned how to play the actual game of baseball. I improved my approach and learned skills like baserunning.

As my season went on, I was blessed enough to continue to get opportunities to do well.

After the season ended, I got invited to the MLB Draft Combine. I met with the Mets, and they seemed pretty interested. I’m super thankful for where I’m at today.

MMO: What is the biggest difference between collegiate, summer, and professional ball?

J: Wherever you go, I think the game is very similar. In professional ball, people have sharper command. They know where to place the ball a little bit better. They throw a tad bit harder. They sink it a little bit better. Everyone here has a superpower, and you figure out what their superpower is.

It’s just staying within yourself and understanding what type of player you are. I’m just really taking it one day at a time. Collegiate ball really helped me, as I was able to play against the best of the best. Here, I think it’s more of a daily grind. Mentally, it’s just an everyday thing.

In college, we played on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and sometimes on Wednesday. So, you have a few days to relax your body, but here it’s every single day. You’ve got to bring it and make adjustments, because you’re not going to feel the same everyday.

MMO: What would you say your superpower is?

J: Impacting the ball. Awareness of the strike zone. Can throw the ball well. Can defend well. Can steal bases. I’m just trying to stick within the strike zone, get into the heart of the plate, not trying to chase anything.

MMO: Well, what would you say your goals for the upcoming year are?

J: Just staying healthy and staying consistent in all aspects of my life. I’m just continuing to make faith my foundation in my everyday life. I think it is a huge step for me.

It just allows me to free up and play the game well. If I can free up and play the game the way I can, I think all the numbers are gonna come along. If you really focus on the skills, instead of the result, it’s gonna put you in a lot better place, every single time.

MMO: What parts of your game have you focused the most on since turning pro, and how have the Mets been helping you in that regard?

They’ve been helping me with little mechanical adjustments. I’m able to get in the zone early, to stay through it longer, and to hit the offspeed a little bit better.

I’m doing a lot better job just being more comfortable this year. I’m trying to hit the offspeed better by trying to understand where my swing needs to start.

I’m also trying to stay cognizant when men are on base. I want to stay on the heater so I can stay in my tunnels longer. Since my bat is in the zone a lot longer, I want to back up on the fastball and stay along with the breaking balls.

MMO: You talk about some of the mechanical changes you made at the plate? Has that been a result of the Mets’ hitting lab at St. Lucie, or has it been something else? Alternatively, are your adjustments more of a feel thing?

J: Oh, my goodness. I love the Mets’ hitting facility. They have a lab [in Port St.Lucie], and I remember we got marked up [with nodes that track biomechanics], and it just changed my whole perspective on how my body actually moves. They helped me understand where my bat is starting in the zone.

They helped me a ton through different thoughts and drills, but they kept me the same player. They just made very minor adjustments. They have every resource possible to let you know, hey, this is where you’re at, and this is where you be.

They do a really good job of not just telling me things, not just to tell me things, but to actually show me with evidence. They work with a purpose and a plan, and it’s been helping me a ton. I’m super grateful.

MMO: What would you say the most tangible thing was that you took away from your time at the Mets hitting lab? How long did it take for the change to take effect?

J: Oh my gosh. My front shoulder stopped dipping and was moved into a better angle so I could fire them better. We worked a lot with pitches up in the zone and getting behind the ball. I feel like if I can control the top of the zone, I can control the lower half of the zone, which I consider my strength.

MMO: I noticed you’re a guy who likes to have a lot of fun. You like to celebrate. Why is that so important to you?

J: I think just playing the game itself, like people see themselves doing a job. But I try to look at this game like it hasn’t changed. I’d love to do this every single day.

I want to go out there and just have fun and be crazy. I like to have pretty good energy because I think if you bring positive vibrations out into the world, you’re most likely going to get it back.

I’m just trying to get as much momentum as I can in the dugout, no matter the situation. If we’re up ten, if we’re down ten, I want the same energy.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. Full interview can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/matt-mancuso-139191659/antonio-jimenez-interview

The post Exclusive: Mets’ 2025 Third-Round Pick Antonio Jimenez appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Raised in Brooklyn, Ottavino went on to pitch for both of his hometown teams, finding success in the Bronx and Queens. He remains the only pitcher to record a season with 65 or more appearances and a sub-2.10 ERA for both the New York Yankees (2019) and the New York Mets (2022).

Over his career, the right-hander appeared in 727 major league games, compiling a 3.48 ERA and 15.0 bWAR. One of Ottavino’s calling cards was his early adoption of the sweeper—a slider variant known for its significant horizontal movement. The pitch generated plenty of swings and misses for the New York native, contributing to a career whiff rate of 34.2%.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The veteran reliever rejoined the Yankees last April on a one-year major league deal. Ottavino made just three appearances for the club before he was designated for assignment on April 8, the second time he was designated within a matter of days. He acknowledges that his big league career is likely over, but has left the door open to pitch for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Even though Ottavino isn’t playing, he’s still keeping close tabs on the game. This summer, he debuted a live-stream YouTube show called “Baseball and Coffee,” where he goes around the league providing analysis and commentary.

I had the privilege of interviewing Ottavino over the phone, where we discussed his transition to the bullpen, the origins of his sweeper and his time with the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Ottavino: Growing up in New York, I was mostly a Yankees fan. My favorite player of all time is Bernie Williams. From the pitching side, I really liked David Cone, Jimmy Key, El Duque and Mariano Rivera.

There were definitely some Mets that I liked throughout the years, too. I was a big Rey Ordóñez fan, and I loved watching Al Leiter. I think everybody’s favorite player growing up was probably Ken Griffey Jr.

MMO: What was training and developing as a baseball player like growing up in Brooklyn?

Ottavino: As soon as it got warmer, I was outside every day all the way into the fall. We used to do a lot of practicing in dimly lit public school gyms. My dad would take me to the batting cage on Eastern Parkway. We would rent out the cage for half an hour in the dead of winter and just hit.

There was a lot of imaginative play inside the house when it was too cold out, or throwing snowballs outside. We spent as much time as we could working on baseball, even though it was cold.

MMO: At what point did you specifically focus on pitching?

Ottavino: They took hitting away from me going into my senior year of high school. I still hit in school-ball, but more in travel leagues. That’s when they started to pivot me mostly to pitching.

It became clear that pitching was my future; I was getting scouted only as a pitcher at that point. I was a good hitter, but at that time, there weren’t any Shohei Ohtanis rolling around. Pitching was an easy choice.

MMO: Where else did you play when you weren’t pitching?

Ottavino: Catching was my favorite position. I loved helping the pitchers out and throwing runners out. I played that a lot when I was little. Most guys would tell you that you end up at shortstop for a while, too, and I played there. As I grew more into the body that I have as an adult—a more powerful but slow-type body—I moved to the corners: third base and right field.

If I didn’t pitch, I think I would’ve tried to catch. But at a certain point, that flies in the face of pitching, so we abandoned that idea.

MMO: When did the transition occur from moving out of the rotation and into the pen? What were your initial reactions?

Ottavino: My first three games in the big leagues were starts. I was still a full-time starter at that point; I have 125 minor league starts along with the three big league starts. It wasn’t until I got put on waivers and claimed by the Rockies that I became a full-time reliever. That’s not to say it wasn’t thought about for a while before that.

I was stuck in Triple-A for parts of three years with the Cardinals. They had a really good rotation at the time; I was like the sixth or seventh depth starter. Those guys just didn’t get hurt and kept churning out good seasons.

I saw some of my weaknesses. If a team stacked a lineup with lefties, that would make it tougher on me. I saw the writing on the wall, but I also saw that my ability could play in the bullpen. I got claimed by the Rockies out of spring [in 2012], went to Triple-A, worked for the first time in a late-inning role and really took to it right away. I liked pitching more often and going right to my best pitches. It started to make sense, and I started to see myself more in that role. I always wanted to start, but I think it made sense that I ended up where I did.

MMO: It seems like it was a fairly seamless transition for you.

Ottavino: I think I took to it really easily. I loved pitching in big spots and pitching with the game on the line, and you get to do a lot of that in a relief role. I felt the hairier the spot was, the more I was able to access my ability and focus.

From a physical standpoint, it was an adjustment because it seemed easier to only throw one or two innings at a time. The regularity with which you’re pitching and learning how to manage the workload as a reliever is tricky, and it was harder for me. I think I dropped the ball on that one in the first few years. I threw too much, backed myself into a corner, and ended up getting my elbow hurt and having to get Tommy John surgery. That was something that I had to learn from on the physical side.

I made that adjustment, and I was good the rest of the way. That was probably the biggest and toughest part: understanding the difference in terms of workload between starting and relieving.

MMO: The term “sweeper” entered the mainstream lexicon just a few years ago, but it’s a pitch that’s been around for some time. I’ve heard you mention in previous interviews that you watched guys like David Cone and Jeff Nelson utilize similar pitches. Can you talk about your origins with the sweeper?

Ottavino: When I was still at Northeastern, our catcher, Luke Carlin, came to train with us in the offseason. I was throwing a bullpen to him, and he was teaching me a cutter. From that grip, I just started experimenting by seeing if I could send the ball even more to the left to see how extreme I could make it.

I kind of stumbled into the sweeper grip. I didn’t know it at the time, but it poked its head out a few years later. It was a pitch that I threw sparingly, and I would throw it sometimes in catch play to show off that I could make the ball move like that.

In the game, we were always taught to focus on the two-plane break, like left and down. That wasn’t the slider I was working with; I was working with more of a two-plane slider. When I got to Double-A, my curveball and my two-plane slider weren’t as effective as I wanted. Guys were seeing them out of my hand pretty well.

At the time, I lived with a lot of hitters, and I’d ask them for advice. They said they thought it would be nice if my pitch came out on plane out of my hand, and then to use that big break to my advantage. I started dipping my toe in the water by throwing that pitch a little more often, but I still hadn’t committed to it as my main slider until probably mid-way through 2014 or 2015. I was still throwing it a little bit, but I was throwing the two-plane one as well, so I was throwing two breaking balls.

The sample size grew, and I could see the results were much better on that horizontal breaking pitch, which we know as the sweeper. I leaned into it, started throwing it, and it felt like a cheat code because no one else was really doing it. Granted, there were pitchers in baseball history who threw it, but I don’t think we realized the effectiveness of it, at least I didn’t, until I started throwing it a lot.

At one point, I think I was throwing 75 percent sweepers in the big leagues! [Laughs.] And then everybody caught on, and it just became a thing. I realized I was just a little early to the trend.

MMO: Did you mess with many different grips?

Ottavino: No, I kind of stumbled into it. Over time, you would keep tinkering because that’s just human nature. Then I learned the science behind why it was moving the way it was, and then I was able to hone in on the proper grip and not lose it.

It’s funny, later in my career, I would run into other guys with big sweepers, like Chris Sale. I remember asking him how he gripped it, and it turned out to be kind of the same as me! It made me think that I really was onto something, and it all kind of happened by accident.

It’s kind of the reverse of the way things work now, where we know what to do, and then go execute. Before, there was a lot of trial and error. I was lucky that I stumbled into the right thing.

Sep 22, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: One of the coolest stories I read was about that vacant facility in Harlem you rented from your father-in-law, which you turned into a pitching lab following the 2017 season. What went into the decision to utilize that space in such a fashion, and what were some of the benefits you got from training there?

Ottavino: That was a huge turning point in my career. I had a tough year in 2017. My firstborn was a year old that offseason, and at the time, I had been driving out to Long Island to train. My throwing partner, Steven Matz, had moved to Nashville to be with his now wife, so I lost my throwing partner. I wasn’t doing a ton of throwing. I had parts of four years of pitching really well, so I kind of let my guard down a bit and showed up to spring training completely out of whack mechanically. At the time, there weren’t many checks and balances during spring training. We got to the season, and I was like, Oh, my God, I’m in a horrible habit here, and had the worst season of my career.

Around August of that year, I realized that I needed to spend my offseasons doing more than just working out and working on my body. I needed to practice my skills and make sure my technique was right. It wasn’t going to work driving to Long Island anymore, so I needed to find a place to train. We started looking for a storefront or something to outfit with baseball equipment.

Right around that time, my father-in-law, who is involved with that building in Harlem, said that there was a space and it might be available for a few months. My wife went, checked it out, did some measuring, and thought it was perfect. I paid for it with a Nolan Arenado-signed bat.

All of a sudden, I was able to practice on my own time and as much as I wanted. I had some friends come with me to start a lot of the processes that I used later in my career; videoing my throwing and being able to connect with what I was feeling. I was able to hone in my technique, work on new pitches, and really work on the skills side of things. That led to my career year next year, where I came in like gangbusters and was more prepared. It was really cool to be able to keep that space for almost the rest of my career.

MMO: There was a great quote from the 2019 book, “The MVP Machine,” which had a chapter that detailed the discussion you had with Rockies manager Bud Black after you worked with Driveline in 2017 and started to incorporate an Edgertronic camera and weighted balls. Black asked you whether using the Edgertronic was “going to put more things in your head,” to which you replied, “I’m going to think either way, but this makes me know what to think about.” With so much information available, how did you go about ensuring that you were getting the necessary data while not overwhelming yourself to the point where it could be a detriment?

Ottavino: I’m really good at absorbing the information. Not everybody is; some people need to keep it a bit simpler. I think at the moment of truth and pitching, you do need to boil things down as much as you can, and I was able to do that.

There was a lot of pushback at the beginning when I first showed up with my Edgertronic at the Rockies’ spring training in 2018. The pitching coach at the time thought I was undermining him, and he wasn’t too happy about it. I quickly explained that we should both look at these videos so we can learn together. Two brains are better than one, and this is definitely the new wave of technology that’s coming. We all need to learn from this, and it can make us better. Eventually, a lot of that friction went away.

A key point I made talking to Buddy about this was, I’m going to be thinking about adjustments to make daily anyway. If I have real information that gives me an actual direction to point my arrow, then I’m going to get there a lot faster. Having the high-speed camera and the movement information was really helping me point my arrow in the right direction. Every day, I could have more of a quality practice, and I could practice more efficiently. That’s super important because, as a pitcher, you can’t just throw all day; you have to get the most out of your practice time. I felt like that information helped me achieve that.

MMO: You also trained at Driveline for some time. What were some of your takeaways?

Ottavino: I was only there about a week, but it opened my eyes to a couple of key concepts. One was the concept of self-organization. Instead of being so internally focused when working on mechanics, thinking, Where’s my arm? Where’s my hip? Where’s my leg? It’s like, let’s create a constraint drill where I can keep my focus external. By constraining myself within the drill, my body will find a way to do it. It’ll self-organize and find a way to get the job done.

That was such a big thing to learn because before going there, I would say 95 percent of my pitching instruction over the years was based on internal cueing and things that are just really hard to do. It’s hard to think about your big toe or something while you’re also trying to execute a pitch. That kind of allowed me to get out of the shackles of that and allowed me to work on things with constraint drills to keep my focus external and understand that if my sights are set downrange on the catcher, that’s a much better place for me to be. It allowed my command to improve as a result of that, and kind of as a happy accident of that.

The use of some of the weighted implements, the weighted balls, and things like that [was helpful]. I never chased velocity in the way that a lot of Driveline guys do because that’s what they need to do to get noticed, but it did help me come up with a routine to stay healthy and properly warm up. Especially using a little bit of the heavier weighted balls kind of kept my arm action more efficient and shorter.

MMO: What went into your decision-making for signing a one-year deal with the Mets in March 2022?

Ottavino: I pitched for the Red Sox in ’21 after being traded there. I had a weird year where I started really good; I think I pitched well up until mid-August, and then I ran into trouble down the stretch. I really wanted to stay with the Red Sox because I felt like we had a good thing developing. At the end of the day, it didn’t work out; they weren’t aggressive in trying to sign me that offseason.

I knew that I only wanted to sign a one-year deal that year anyway, and I thought the Mets were a perfect landing spot. I always had an affinity for Buck Showalter, and they already had a pretty good group of relief arms, and I thought I could add to that mix and live at home. It just seemed like a really good opportunity, and they ended up signing me pretty late. If you recall, that was the lockout year.

I had a couple of other similar offers, but it made too much sense to stay at home. I thought the Mets were on the upswing; I liked what the Cohens were starting to do over there. And I was proven right. I went over there and we had a lot of fun! We had a great year, and I was able to re-sign with them, and it all worked out.

Adam Ottavino. Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: Comparing your ’21 season with Boston to your first year with the Mets, you lowered your walk rate from 12.7 percent to 6.2 percent, increased your strikeout rate by 5 percent, and increased your groundball rate by almost 12 percent. Can you speak on some of the changes/fixes you made in order to have such success with New York?

Ottavino: I actually think ’21 was a huge learning year for me when I was with Boston. I was around Jason Varitek a lot, and he had an unbelievable perspective. I picked his brain constantly. He was a switch-hitter, but also a catcher, and caught some of the greatest pitchers ever. His watching my game that year kind of helped me understand the matrix a little bit more of how things work.

I took all that information that I learned from talking with him and also Dave Bush, who was the pitching coach at the time, into that year with the Mets, and was able to execute what I had learned a lot better.

I thought my pitch decisions were a lot better, I was getting ahead in the count better, and therefore, I was giving myself more chances to strike guys out. For the first time, I was also pitching a little more in a pitcher’s park, so I was able to get in the zone a bit better. I finally understood the value of the first-pitch strike, and I wanted to take my chances in the zone a bit more. And it all worked out. It doesn’t always all work out, but that year things really went my way, and I was able to get on a roll.

MMO: Steve Gelbs had an in-game report during a broadcast where he discussed how you walk barefoot on the grass pre-game in a technique called grounding. When did you start to incorporate that routine, and what were some of the benefits?

Ottavino: I learned about the science of it in 2018-2019. It didn’t become a full part of my routine, I don’t think, until 2021. A big part of it was that it was a great way to start my day. I’d get to the field, and I would go right out there and walk around for a while and take it in. There’s science behind it, and I always felt like I’d come off the field and get back inside to start my catch play and everything. I was just in a much better mood and a much better place and felt a lot more present.

I’d like to go behind the pitcher’s mound and visualize that view to home plate in all of the stadiums. I felt like that helped me when I then jogged into the game to feel like I had been there before, and pre-planned my visuals. I really liked it. It was the way I liked to start my day, and I stuck with it for the rest of my career.

Other guys would ask me about it, and it would catch on, and a lot of people started dabbling in it. I think it’s a really good way to get yourself in the right mindset.

MMO: Were you a player who routinely incorporated visualization cues in your routine?

Ottavino: Yes, because I was a mess when I was younger. They took me out of the rotation when I was in Double-A because I was so wild, and I was so internally focused. Like we talked about earlier, I just couldn’t get out of my own way. The Cardinals took me out of circulation, and they sent a couple of different mental skills people to work with me, which I learned a ton from, honestly. From that point forward, not only from them, but also by talking to other players, I started to reshape my mental approach to pitching. I started focusing a lot more on that process-oriented mindset.

I remember a big turning point in my career was watching a basketball game where Kevin Durant was playing. I think he was 0-for-10 from the field at half. They interviewed him before he went to the locker room about his shooting. I remember him telling the reporter that he was going to make the next shot. He always assumed he was going to make the next shot. I had that moment of clarity where I realized that I wasn’t assuming that I was making my pitches; I was hoping that I was going to make my pitches. That was a key mindset shift.

The next day in catch play, I started throwing with the assumption that I was going to hit my spot, and I stuck with that mindset for a really long time. That alone really helped me clean up my command. I realized that the mental controls the physical. For the last 15 years, I honed in on perfecting that mental side of the game because I do believe that what you think makes all the difference.

MMO: You announced your new live-streaming baseball show on YouTube called “Baseball and Coffee” a few months ago. What was behind this idea, and what can viewers expect?

Ottavino: This is an idea I’ve had for a few years based on my own experience with the MLB dugout iPad. I think it’s cool to be able to jump into any type of action and type of pitch, get some data, and use a bunch of different camera angles. The tech was the biggest thing, and that was the biggest hurdle in getting them to let me use that. I thought it was a fun way for me to follow baseball.

I don’t really lock in on highlights too often, or read a million articles every day. Now that I’m not playing, I realized that it’s very hard to check out the game on a national level. You can pretty much follow your own team and then see the other teams when they play you. I like to jump around and see what pops, and this app gives me the ability to do that.

I’ve wanted to do it in a live stream fashion because I don’t think anyone’s tried to do that yet; to set up a gaming stream, which is where my inspiration came for the format. I do a screenshare and have engagement with the viewers on the chat, and I think that’s super key. I’m not rushing to market or monetize it. I genuinely like to have a cup of coffee and check out the cool stuff that happened in baseball the night before, and interact with people and see what they want to see.

In the future, I’d like to have other people on, have some great conversations, baseball trivia and giveaways. I’m just looking to have it grow organically and evolve and see what happens.

MMO: You’ve mentioned in previous interviews you’re interest in managing. Is that your next baseball goal?

Ottavino: Yeah, managing or running a team in a different capacity. I want to have an impact when I come back. I have no interest in being a pitching coach and things like that. I love the idea of managing because you can do little things that affect your team’s chances to win on a nightly basis. Being in the fight and in the grind is what I know. I love traveling the country and being in all the heat of all the ballparks. I love the competition factor and the players.

That’s certainly something that’s on my mind and on my bucket list that I need to check off. But I’m not going to go about it the traditional way. I’m going to do media and try and stay in the game that way, and see what opportunities come down the road.

MMO: When you look back on your career, what are you most proud of?

Ottavino: I’m proud of the longevity. I never cheated the game, and I felt like I took on every challenge. I never shied away from Coors Field or going to play for my hometown team. I never shied away from the Yankees, or when I was with the Red Sox, going up against them. I always wanted the ball, and I pride myself on my work ethic and the way I was able to stay healthy, especially the last seven to eight years. That was important to me, being available for my team and my teammates.

I was disappointed I never won the World Series or had that big signature moment in the game. I’m proud that I played 20 seasons in pro ball, and felt I gave it my all the whole way. I can’t look back with any regrets.

The post MMO Exclusive: Relief Pitcher, Adam Ottavino appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It was Sept. 7, 2024. For Ross, it was his first game action in over two and a half years.

He stopped, then turned to look out at the scoreboard.

He realized, silently to himself, “I just played professional baseball,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, cool. Now let’s get into it.'”

Dylan Ross. Photo by Kylie-Richelle

When Ross departed the field, his parents were waiting for him. His mom told him that his dad wouldn’t admit it, but he had been crying for about an inning.

The previous time Ross had pitched in a game, he was a college junior making just his second appearance for the University of Georgia. Through two UCL surgeries, with a draft selection by the New York Mets in between, Ross found his way back to the field.

And now he can’t be stopped.

Less than a year after that long-awaited debut, Ross has already worked his way up to Triple-A Syracuse.

“I’ve gotta have the outlook of ‘It’s just another day,'” Ross said. “You kind of prepare yourself through rehab the whole time of, like, ‘I guess it’s just the best outcome it possibly could have been, coming off that situation.'”

Gaining Velocity

Ross is armed with an electric fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has topped out at 102 mph. He complements it with a splitter in the high 80s to low 90s, along with a slider and a curveball.

Ross always threw hard as a kid, he recalled. While playing travel ball, he’d warm up by playing long toss from foul pole to foul pole, “just for the fun of it.” His dad, he said, joked that people could tell back then that he would end up throwing hard.

Ross also felt he had the physical size for velocity. Nowadays, at age 24, he’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds.

Even before he was hitting triple digits, he still threw harder than most kids around him. The key to unlocking everything he had in him was cleaning up his mechanical deficiencies.

In high school, at Georgia Premier Academy, he topped out in the low 90s. He was teammates with Daniel Espino, a former first-round pick who hit 100 when he was only 18.

“It just didn’t feel as if my 90-92 was even hard,” Ross said. “And then, as I built up, I think that kind of watered down what 100 really was, because I was around it every single day with [Espino].”

When Ross got to Eastern Kentucky University in 2020, he had an uptick in velocity. He started sitting 91-93 while occasionally reaching the mid-90s. Not only did his mechanical changes help him throw harder, but they also brought less stress on his lower back.

“I used to land very closed and long,” Ross said. “I’d always say I was like lawn-chairing myself with how closed off I was, trying to get extension. So it was almost as if I was bending my back.”

Ross already had his splitter back then, too. He said it’s always been his most reliable pitch. He adjusts the grip and throws it with exactly the same motion as his fastball.

“It’s like the one pitch where it’s never not on,” Ross said.

The COVID-19 times limited him to four innings for Eastern Kentucky in 2020. He went back home to Statesboro, Georgia, where he threw live at-bats and simulated his season at his old high school.

Ross transferred to Northwest Florida State College, a JUCO where he had the chance to get a lot of work in a relatively low-stress environment. He made 12 appearances in 2021, all starts, and posted a 3.88 ERA over 60 1/3 innings. He averaged 11.49 strikeouts per nine innings.

It was this year, in his second collegiate season, when he first hit 100 and started getting noticed on draft boards. The ingredients were there for Ross to be a high-round pick and ascend quickly.

Dylan Ross. Photo by Bella Dunning/Brooklyn Cyclones

The UCL Tear

Ross’s power arm led him to the University of Georgia in the SEC. A big year there could have propelled him to the top few rounds of the draft.

His debut for the Bulldogs was a success. Five innings, one run, six strikeouts. So far, so good.

Then, on March 1, 2022, he made his second start.

He recalled that he’d already been dealing with some discomfort over the prior couple of weeks. But he, nor the staff, could quite figure out what it was.

The pain intensified before his outing.

“Long tossing, it felt good,” Ross said. “Coming back in, absolute shambles.”

Ross allowed a run-scoring triple against Wofford College in the first inning of that game. He walked back-to-back hitters, then was able to strand the bases loaded.

When he came back out for the second inning, one of his warmup throws went to the backstop.

“The catcher was like, ‘You good?'” Ross recalled. “I was like, ‘Just give me the ball.'”

His next warmup pitch sailed even higher to the backstop.

“It’s done for,” he thought.

He was pulled before he got a chance to start the inning.

“It was almost like the thing you see on videos of guys blowing out,” Ross said. “It’s just the weird realization of, like, ‘It’s gone.’ And then I was kind of in disbelief.”

Ross knew he needed to get it checked out. He soon found out he’d be facing every pitcher’s worst nightmare: undergoing Tommy John surgery.

But it didn’t faze him the way it might for others.

“It was weirdly a relief,” Ross said. “Obviously, still heartbreaking… It was not something anybody ever wants to hear. But a week and a half later, I had surgery. It’s never strayed my faith and my belief of what I’m meant to do.”

His cousin and Georgia teammate Will Childers, around that same time, was rehabbing his own Tommy John surgery. Childers re-tore his UCL in his first outing back, shortly after Ross underwent surgery.

“And so it’s like, well, what could I really be upset about?” Ross said. “Like, what’s it gonna help me to pitter-patter around and moan and complain about it?”

Ross’s season for Georgia was short-lived. But he still hung around the team every day. He built a camaraderie with his teammates and got to just be a college student.

“It just changed my perspective on baseball a little bit,” he said. “Especially going from three schools, I was never around the same guys for more than a year. So [the injury] allowed me more time to build those relationships outside of baseball.”

Ross credited Georgia’s staff for helping him through the early months of his rehab. But as the season went on, more of Georgia’s pitchers went down with injuries. They went a moderate 15-15 in SEC play and saw their season end in the NCAA regionals.

“Heartbreaking” is how Ross described it. “A little bit of guilt of, like, ‘Dadgummit, I could have been healthy and helped out some.’ But everything’s meant to be how it is.”

Joining the Mets

Being sidelined changed Ross’s mindset going into the draft from what it had been. He knew that if he was drafted, he would just be going through the same rehab processes in a different place, though perhaps with more high-tech resources. Whether he would continue his rehab with Georgia or with his new professional team, he was okay with either scenario.

“Just the optimistic realist in me,” he said.

Ross’s injury also changed the focus of his pre-draft conversations. He mainly wanted to know about his potential organization’s medical staff, what their rehab philosophy was and their overall history of rehabbing pitchers.

“With the Mets, it was a lot better fit than I could ever imagine,” Ross said.

He’d already had a relationship with the Mets’ staff, who took him in the 13th round in the summer of 2022.

Ross continued his rehab with the Mets, as planned. But after about a year of things going according to schedule, another massive setback befell him.

He needed another surgery on his UCL. It wasn’t Tommy John, but it was still a revision surgery that would sideline him for another year.

But he stayed with the mindset of resilience that had gotten him this far. He already felt comfortable working with the Mets, and now he just had to keep at his routine for a little bit longer.

“I don’t want condolences,” Ross said. “I want to go to the next steps, the improvements to be made.”

Preventing another setback was an obvious, but nonetheless important, priority of Ross’s rehab. He learned to dial it back when he needed to,and to only work as hard as was necessary on a given day.

“I think we were able to hone in on a couple things during the first process that I guess I got a little jumpy on, whether it’s throwing a little bit too hard or pushing myself a little bit too much,” Ross said. “I guess I didn’t fully hone in on the rest aspect of taking your light days light… Just protect me from myself.”

Finding Immediate Success Upon His Return

Ross’s return to the field quite literally couldn’t have gone much better. Six days after turning 24 years old, in his first real outing since he was 21, he struck out all three batters he faced for the Single-A St. Lucie Mets.

It was a giant weight off his shoulders. But he didn’t get there by focusing on the final outcome. His journey required a remarkable amount of patience to focus on one thing at a time and not get ahead of himself. It took more than two and a half years, but the determination paid off.

After getting some Arizona Fall League experience, Ross started this season on a talented High-A Brooklyn club. He struck out 23 in 11 2/3 innings, with just two earned runs allowed. It earned him a quick promotion to Double-A Binghamton.

Part of what allowed him to make such a smooth comeback was the mental situations he’d been putting himself in during live at-bats.

“What headspace are you in? Who are you mentally facing?” Ross said of his mindset during rehab.

Ross also had the understanding that there would be occasional bad outings. He knew ahead of time that he would need to give himself some grace and try to learn from his shortcomings.

After five straight scoreless outings to start his Double-A career, he gave up three runs over 1 1/3 innings on June 1. He allowed two runs (one earned) in his next outing.

But he struck out 18 over 10 1/3 Double-A innings, with only three walks issued. His ERA in that span was 4.35. The Mets saw enough to promote him to Triple-A on June 17.

“I think there’s a lot of things that you learn going through those levels. But I think, ultimately, it’s just taking care of business, taking care of your stuff,” Ross said. “I think they’ve pushed me, but they’re not gonna push somebody if they don’t think they’re ready. So I guess, for me to sit here and think I’m not ready, is just kind of going against the powers that be.”

Ross has kept rolling in the hitter-friendly International League. In 9 2/3 innings, he’s struck out 14 and allowed three runs (two earned).

His ERA over 31 2/3 minor league innings this season, across three levels, is 2.56. He has 55 strikeouts, good for a 15.6 K/9.

In addition to topping out in triple digits, Ross said he’s felt comfortable throwing his splitter in any count. He has a fairly new grip on his slider, which has evolved and become a more confident offering for Ross. He noted that he’s gotten especially better at throwing backdoor sliders, using it to get swings and misses.

After starting throughout college, he’s still adjusting to being a reliever. In his shorter outings, he hasn’t had room to use his curveball very much. Pitching just an inning or two in each outing has altered his plan of attack when he goes out there.

“It’s been a fun time. A lot of learning,” Ross said. “With relieving, I guess it’s less cerebral at times, of working the guy this way, this time through; changing it up second time through, third time through — things of that nature. So relieving is just, go out there and put your best up against theirs and go see what happens.”

One benefit he gained from rehab was getting to meet players from a variety of levels, all the way from Single-A to the big leagues. Despite playing for three different teams already this year, he’s recognized guys every step of the way. And the relationships he’s built have helped him flourish.

“It’s been a joy,” Ross said.

With Ross all of a sudden flooded by success, his mentality hasn’t changed from when he was on the long-term sideline. Despite now being just one step from the big leagues, he’s not thinking too hard about the future.

He’s just going to try to keep getting better. If it gets him to Queens, then so be it. It’s already gotten him this far.

“I thank nobody but God just to be in the position that I’m in now,” he said. “I could never imagine the ride that I’ve been on now. So I just try to make sure not to look too far ahead and try to determine what it’s supposed to look like. I just try to stay grounded and do what I’m doing now.

“I guess it’s as simple as that. Just enjoying the ride.”

The post Dylan Ross ‘Just Enjoying the Ride’ After Recovering From Two UCL Surgeries appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“Cooper was always playing two or three year levels up. In third grade, he was playing at a sixth-grade level and excelling,” Rowell said. “He was dunking and playing above the rim in middle school, but his competition wasn’t great. He was dominating, but it wasn’t like he had anyone who matched up to him.”

Newport, Maine, has a population of about 1,500 people, and Nokomis High School is located there. The 2025 graduating class was around 140 students. They have a terrific Southwest restaurant called Cervesas, a popular ice cream stop in Sawyer’s Dairy Bar, a bowling alley and billiards combo, one of the better ATV trailheads, and one town over has a Walmart. It’s a quick drive up Interstate 95 to Maine’s third-largest city, Bangor. There they have Husson University, a partially vacant mall headlined by a Dick’s Sporting Goods and about 25 cannabis dispensaries. Local folks went crazy with excitement when they found out a Chick-fil-A was coming to Bangor, and the lines there are typically extensive.

That’s where the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick is coming from. Flagg is going from a small town in Maine to the Dallas Mavericks. He’s only 18 years old and is already one of the most famous athletes from Maine. Heck, he’s about to be one of the most famous people from Maine.

NBA teams have drafted six players born in Maine. The first was Thomas “Skip” Chappelle, taken in the 11th round by the St. Louis Hawks in 1962. In 1967, Mainer Joe Harrington was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 11th round. Next up was Denis Clark in the 15th round of the 1970 draft, then Peter Gavett in the 18th round of the 1973 draft, and the second highest draft pick after Harrington is Bob Warner in the eighth round of the 1976 draft.

The sixth and most recent NBA draft pick from Maine was Jeff Turner in 1984. The Bangor native was taken 17th overall by the New Jersey Nets. Turner played in parts of 10 seasons, won a gold medal with the 1984 Olympic team, and is currently a TV commentator for the Orlando Magic.

That’s the list of Maine-born players selected in the NBA draft. But even when you broaden the topic to include all Maine athletes who have been drafted or played in a pro sport, it’s still a very short list. I asked a group of fellow Mainers what athletes came to mind as the most famous to come from our beautiful state. Former women’s basketball player Cindy Blodgett was the No. 1 answer, with former baseball players Bill Swift and Mike Bordick close behind and former Nascar driver Ricky Craven was one of the top answers among older people who answered. Current NBA player Duncan Robinson was mentioned a few times, but likely not as much as you’d think, because while he was born in Maine, he went to high school in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Bordick wasn’t born in Maine but spent early parts of his childhood in the state. He attended Hampden High School in Maine alongside Craven. The high school baseball field is named after him, and Bordick went on to play at the University of Maine.

Other Mainers mentioned:

• Joan Benoit (gold medalist marathon runner)
• Seth Wescott (two-time Olympic champ snowboarder)
• Elle Logan (gold medalist rower)
• Ryan Flaherty (former MLB player and current coach)
• Joey Gamache (boxer)
• Nik Caner-Medley (basketball player)
• Tim Sylvia (MMA)
• Mark Rogers (former MLB player)
• Clyde Sukeforth (former MLB player and scout)
• Matthew Mulligan (former NFL player)
• John Winkin (baseball coach)
• Stump Merrill (former MLB manager)

Mainers Brett Brown and Josh Longstaff are currently coaches in the NBA and fellow Mainer Mackenzie Holmes is playing in the WNBA. Mainer Dick Scott is currently the manager of the New York Mets Triple-A affiliate Syracuse Mets. Four Mainers played in the NHL this past season, including Brian Dumoulin, Garnet Hathaway, Jack Williams and Oliver Wahlstrom.

Not exactly household names. You just don’t see many athletes from Maine going pro in the four major sports. When Flagg goes first overall to the Mavericks, I believe he will be the highest pick ever for a Mainer. Swift went second overall in 1984 to MLB’s Seattle Mariners, Tim Stauffer was drafted fourth overall by MLB’s San Diego Padres in 2003, Rogers was the fifth overall pick in 2004 by MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, Blodgett went sixth overall to the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers in 1998, Al Harris was selected ninth overall by the NFL’s Chicago Bears in 1979 and Wahlstrom was taken 11th overall by the NHL’s New York Islanders in 2018.

The busiest road in Newport, Maine

Mainers certainly aren’t trying to put pressure on the 18-year-old Flagg, but they’ve never seen anything like this before. He will be the second youngest first overall pick; only Lebron James was younger when drafted No. 1. It defies logic that a kid from Newport, Maine, went to Duke University to play basketball and then became a top pick in the NBA draft. We are not used to having the spotlight in sports (or in general, really; I’m sure when most people think about our state, the first thing that pops up is lobster).

“Just proving it doesn’t matter where you are from… you just got to believe in yourself,” Cooper Flagg said during a recent interview.

Both of Cooper’s parents played basketball at the collegiate level. His mom, Kelly Bowman Flagg, is being inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame later this year. She was a 1,000-point scorer at Nokomis High School and a senior captain for the University of Maine. His father, Ralph Flagg, played at Eastern Maine Community College. His twin brother Ace will play at the University of Maine this coming season after being a part of three state championships in three different schools. Cooper, Ace, and older brother Hunter were all on the 2022 Nokomis team that won their first-ever state title.

After winning the state title as a freshman, Cooper decided to attend Montverde Academy in Florida. The school has notable alumni who have played in the NBA, including Joel Embiid, Cade Cunningham, RJ Barrett and Jalen Duren. After his first year at Montverde, Flagg reclassified, which allowed him to head to college one year earlier. A few months later, Cooper was committed to one of the best basketball colleges in the country, Duke University. Flagg capped off his final high school season leading Montverde to a perfect 33-0 record and a national title.

Before playing with Duke, Flagg signed an endorsement deal with New Balance, a company with Maine ties. The New Balance factory in Skowhegan, Maine, is about a 30-minute drive from Newport, and it holds a tent sale every year that Cooper went to with his family as a kid.

All Cooper did in his one year with Duke was average 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, four assists, and over a block and a steal per game. Duke lost in the Final Four, but Cooper won virtually every Player of the Year Award and locked himself into the No. 1 overall pick. The only question was, what team would win the lottery for Cooper? The Dallas Mavericks turned a 1.8% chance into the No. 1 pick to land Cooper.

Cooper Flagg wearing No. 87 and Ace Flagg wearing No. 73

Before Cooper and Ace teamed up to win a state title for the Nokomis High School basketball team, they also played together on the football field. I had the opportunity to talk to their youth and middle school football coach, Eric Rowell.

“He (Cooper) played quarterback on offense and defensive end on defense,” Rowell said. “He was hardworking, a great teammate, and a super athlete, throwing or running with the ball. Smart, he could see the field and make good decisions. He had the playbook down, and I could add plays weekly. He was a sponge and extremely competitive.”

Rowell knew Cooper from a young age, as his son Landon was a classmate. Cooper stopped playing football after his eighth-grade season — around the time he was starting to get scholarship offers from colleges for basketball — but Ace played as a freshman at Nokomis and was all-conference.

“I joke with his parents about how they should have stuck with football, but I guess this basketball thing is working out for them,” Rowell said.

It didn’t take long for folks to notice Cooper’s skill on the basketball court.

“I thought he could possibly make it to the NBA if he continued to grow and improve from watching him in middle school,” Rowell said. “First round or first overall pick didn’t cross my mind. He certainly had all the intangibles: hard work, drive, talent, competitiveness, court vision, humility, unselfishness, athleticism and improving his teammates. The whole package.”

Rowell went on: “When he was chosen to play for the USA basketball U17 team at 15, he won a gold medal and received one of the five most outstanding awards at the tournament. He was chosen at 16 to be on the team that would get Team USA ready for the Olympics, and played great and held his own against the pros. It was clear to anyone who didn’t know him by then that he was a lock to make it to the NBA.”

With the college basketball season over, Cooper came back to Newport, Maine, to see his former classmates at Nokomis graduate on June 7.

“They definitely kept it low-key and didn’t make it all about themselves. They just wanted to see all their friends graduate. They came in the back door, stayed upstairs and watched through the window in the media room,” Rowell said. “Then came down to see everyone and take pictures with friends if they wanted. They kinda snuck up on me in the hallway by the back staircase. We were taking pictures, and they came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder. I hugged them and said, ‘That’s my quarterback and tight end’. Congratulated Cooper and told him good luck in Dallas, if that is where he is going, and told Ace good luck at U Maine.”

On Wednesday night, Eric will be among the many folks from the Newport area and the rest of Maine watching as a local kid is taken first overall in the NBA draft. Cooper will go from a town of 1,500 to a city of 1.3 million.

(Editor’s Note: I know this is a Mets/baseball site, but Flagg is a fellow Mainer and I wanted to share his story with you guys.)

The post Maine’s Own Cooper Flagg Set to Make History appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

He had just started his freshman year at a community college in North Carolina. There weren’t any NCAA offers out of high school. He was a light-hitting shortstop with minimal power. Like any other JUCO baseball player, he just wanted to take his career as far as it could go.

But through a switch to the mound, Warren found his path. He pitched out of the JUCO ranks onto a Division I team, then dominated his senior year en route to getting drafted. Now with his third big league organization—the New York Mets—the aspirations only get higher for the college infielder-turned-MLB pitcher. He’s currently with Triple-A Syracuse, trying to earn his way back to the big league club after making a scoreless appearance for New York in early May.

“That’s definitely the goal—to get back to the bigs and stick,” Warren said. “And be a key part of the bullpen.”

Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

Competitive Bowling in High School

As a high schooler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Warren had more frames bowled than innings pitched.

On the baseball field, he was strictly an infielder. He started his freshman year at second while his older cousin played shortstop. Once his cousin graduated, he took over as the team’s primary shortstop.

A case could be made that baseball wasn’t even his best sport in high school. He was an all-conference bowler, stemming from an impromptu decision he and a few of his baseball teammates made to join the bowling team. The squad was coached by his junior year English teacher.

“He said, ‘Y’all should come out and try out!'” Warren recalled. “We’re like, ‘All right. Say less.'”

Warren had practiced bowling at a young age while his grandmother played in a league. Beyond that, he’d mostly only bowled at birthday parties or outings with friends. But he made the bowling team while averaging over 150. He quickly ascended to the team’s top slot in matches.

When he got to individuals at the end of the season, he beat a senior who had won it every year—a kid who was coincidentally one of his rivals in baseball.

“Obviously, I can’t really say there are rivals for bowling,” Warren said.

Warren bowled around 240, 230 and 220 in his three-game series. And so he moved on to the North Carolina state bowling tournament. He showed up with a single ball and house shoes, while most of his competitors had an entire suitcase with four balls and their own shoes, towels and gear.

Warren ended up placing third out of 20 contestants in the state tournament.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said.

Finding His Niche on the Diamond

As a baseball player, Warren’s only real opportunities coming out of high school were at the JUCO level. He hit for a high batting average in high school, but his tools didn’t jump off the page. He got to Wake Tech Community College—just an hour drive from his hometown—as a shortstop.

On the first day of practice, Warren recalled being overwhelmed by the close to 100 players trying out.

“I’m like, ‘All right, what is going on?'” Warren recalled. “‘I’ve gotta beat out all these kids just to play?'”

His coach pulled him to the side for some encouragement. He told Warren that many of the kids weren’t going to make the team, or they wouldn’t have the grades to play.

Warren went on to have an okay freshman season at Wake Tech. He batted .259 in 39 games as a contact-first hitter with little power. He hit nine doubles and had 18 RBIs. At the time, his numbers blended in with thousands of JUCO baseball players around the country.

He was still eligible to play American Legion Baseball that summer, combining to form a team with some of the best players from his home county. He suggested to his Legion coach that he try pitching. Warren knew he had a good arm, and he wanted to close a couple games out and see how it goes.

Warren immediately sat 90-91 mph with his fastball. He only had under 10 innings on the mound that summer, but he was punching kids out with ease.

When he got back to Wake Tech for his sophomore year, he insisted that his coach let him pitch.

“I knew I probably didn’t have a career as a position player,” Warren said. “Just, without power… You’ve gotta hit home runs and steal bases.”

He built his arm up and joined the Wake Tech pitching staff as a starter and reliever. He exclusively attacked hitters with a fastball-curveball mix. He continued playing the field, too, as a two-way guy. He actually made strides as a hitter, posting a .302 batting average in 52 games. But his slugging percentage was just .396, with nine doubles, two triples and no homers in 139 at-bats. He walked 16 times and struck out 16 times.

In his first collegiate pitching appearance, he surrendered two runs in two innings against North Carolina State University’s club team. The outing included a walk and a hit by pitch with the bases loaded.

But with more appearances and the chance to settle in, he found his form on the mound. He made 14 appearances to go with a 2.69 ERA. He struck out 83 and walked 43 in 67 innings—self-admittedly high walk numbers, but still a strong enough body of work that he started getting offers from four-year schools around halfway through the season.

“That sparked my love for the game again,” Warren said. “I still didn’t know if I had a career in it, but…I had a bunch of offers to some small D-II schools, and had some walk-on opportunities for Division I.”

He ended up getting noticed by UNC Wilmington. When the school sent somebody to watch him, Warren hit a double and stole a base, in addition to throwing 91-92 in a clean inning.

Warren went to UNCW as a two-way player, initially. It was tough to maintain, he explained, having to go from the cages, to taking ground balls, to fitting his bullpens in, all in the span of a practice.

He dominated on the mound in fall ball. He was the team’s fall pitcher of the year, prompting an honest conversation in his exit meeting.

“We see you’ve got a career pitching,” Warren recalled being told. “We think if you hang the bat up and focus on that, you could potentially go do something.”

So, as a junior in college, his focus turned solely to pitching. In his first season of D-I baseball, he made 24 appearances with mixed results. He was still using just a two-pitch mix, turning his curveball into more of a hard slider. He struck out 52 in 47 innings, but he posted a 6.51 ERA and gave up almost two home runs per nine innings. He wasn’t consistent enough to get drafted, so he came back to UNCW for his fourth year of eligibility.

Once again, Warren shined in fall ball and was named the fall pitcher of the year. It was almost like Groundhog Day. He was primed and determined to have a strong season.

Naturally, in his first outing of the spring, he gave up a home run. He surrendered two runs and got three outs against Eastern Kentucky.

“I was like, ‘All right, I can’t have that happen,'” Warren said.

It was over a month before Warren would allow another earned run. He only gave up two more homers all season, pitching to a 1.75 ERA in 51 1/3 innings. He increased his K/9 to 11.2 from 10.0 the year prior, and he lowered his BB/9 from 4.6 to 2.3. He allowed just 33 hits after giving up 57 the previous season. It was exactly the type of breakout he needed to get his name in draft conversations.

“That kind of did it for me, and that’s honestly what got me drafted,” Warren said. “I was thankful.”

Getting Drafted and Coming Up Through the Angels’ System

While Warren had made three starts during his junior year, his success as a senior came entirely in the bullpen. He made 28 appearances, all in relief.

“I think my coaches noticed when I was going one, maybe a little one-plus, I was just dominant,” Warren said. “And then I kind of would lean off after that. But, I mean, I don’t dislike starting. It’s always nice having ‘That day is your day,’ and kind of being in control of the game… Being out of ‘pen is fine, too; you want to be locked in the game the whole time. You want to be moving around, because you just never know when the phone call’s gonna ring, it’s gonna be you. You don’t want to be caught off guard or anything. But I like having the ball in my hand, really. That’s about it.”

Warren was on a UNCW team with multiple other draftees, including current big league catcher Ryan Jeffers. It helped Warren get exposure in front of scouts.

The 2018 Seahawks went to the Greenville Regional. They eventually lost to South Carolina in the regional final. While they were on the bus home that night, the wounds of defeat still fresh, Jeffers was picked in the second round by the Minnesota Twins.

The next day, back in Wilmington, Warren got a call from the Los Angeles Angels. They were drafting him in the sixth round. He was, as he recalled, the first college senior taken in the draft.

During college, Warren had found his success almost exclusively with a fastball-breaking ball mix. He threw his slider in the upper 80s and didn’t have any other secondary offerings. He realized he needed something softer. So he started working on a changeup, then progressively added some more pitches to complete his arsenal.

“Heck, I didn’t know what analytics was, in the pitching department, until, shoot, 2019, maybe,” Warren said. “That’s when it first started coming around a little bit… Definitely pro ball was when the arsenal came alive.”

Warren made his professional debut in 2018, quickly moving up from the Rookie-level Orem Owlz to the Single-A Burlington Bees. His first full season, in 2019, he spent most of the year in High-A Inland Empire before pitching 14 innings at Double-A Mobile. He posted a 3.12 ERA with 12 K/9 over 57 2/3 innings between the two levels.

He pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox later that year in the Arizona Fall League, where the coaches continued working with him on his pitch mix. He allowed just two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings that fall, with 15 strikeouts and only two walks. The Angels didn’t want him throwing so many two-seam fastballs at the time — something Warren noted has changed a lot since then with how prevalent two-seams and sinkers are around the game.

He now throws both a four-seam and a two-seam, in addition to a sweeper, cutter and occasional changeup. He essentially has a starter’s arsenal despite spending most of his career in the bullpen. But it’s what he’s comfortable with, and it’s what’s gotten him this far.

The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to COVID-19. Warren didn’t attend the eventual “spring training 2.0” at all.

“They kind of had that weirdly set up with the Angels,” he said. “They had their whole draft go, and kind of brushed all the other guys away, which was kind of weird.”

So it wasn’t until 2021 that Warren got his first Triple-A experience — the same year he debuted in the big leagues. His results with the Salt Lake Bees were up-and-down, with an 11.1 K/9 but a 6.19 ERA in a generally hitter-friendly environment. He made 22 appearances, 21 of which were relief outings, with three games finished and one save.

This was also the first year that minor league teams started playing six-game series, with every Monday off. Warren recalled a Sunday night in late July, when the team was getting ready for a two-week road trip.

“It’s the one everyone dreads, where you’re gone from your home for two straight weeks,” he said.

Warren had just finished packing his bags. He was playing cards and having drinks with the other guys in his apartment complex. He got a call from his Triple-A manager, who asked him if he would be good to go tomorrow.

“I’m like, ‘We don’t play tomorrow,'” Warren said with a laugh.

The manager responded, “You better be good to go at Angel Stadium,” as Warren recalled.

“It kind of hit me right there,” Warren said. “I knew what he was talking about.”

He called his then-girlfriend—now his wife—then called his parents. It was past 1 a.m. for them on the East Coast. Warren’s family immediately started scrambling for flights.

“And I don’t think any of them slept the rest of the night,” he said.

Warren joined the Angels in the bullpen on July 28. He didn’t pitch, instead just taking everything in. His girlfriend, parents, sister, high school coach and more were in attendance after an abrupt and hectic traveling schedule.

“It was pretty surreal,” Warren said. “I got to sit in the ‘pen and kind of get all the jitters out and whatnot.”

On July 29, the Angels were losing 3-0 to the Athletics after the first inning. They brought José Quintana into the game in the fifth. Quintana, after striking out the side in the sixth, got into trouble in the seventh against an A’s lineup that had Mark Canha, Starling Marte and Jed Lowrie as three of the top four hitters.

The A’s made it 4-0 on an errant pickoff throw by Quintana. He departed the game with two outs and the bases still loaded.

Enter Warren.

“Which was kind of surprising,” he said.

When the phone rang, Warren recalled thinking, “All right. Debut. I don’t know if this will be me.”

Then he turned around and heard, “Warren!”

So it was up to him to inherit a veteran pitcher’s mess.

“Instantly, I felt like I could have thrown three pitches in the bullpen and been ready,” Warren said.

Facing Ramón Laureano, Warren landed a slider at the top of the zone on his first pitch. Then he jammed Laureano inside with a two-seam, which Laureano tapped out past the pitcher’s mound. First baseman Phil Gosselin fielded it. Warren did his job, beating Laureano to the first-base bag. He got the out and escaped the jam.

“I made my own out as my first big-league out, which is pretty cool,” Warren said.

It was a long walk back to the home dugout from first base. He took a second to look around.

“I was like, ‘Wow,'” he said. “‘This is the show.'”

When he got back to the dugout, he was asked if he was good to go for another inning.

“Heck yeah, I’m good to go,” Warren recalled saying.

He went on to pitch a 1-2-3 eighth. He retired Mitch Moreland and Matt Chapman, then ended the outing by striking out Sean Murphy for his first MLB punchout.

Warren’s first impression couldn’t have been much better. He ended up with a 1.77 ERA in 20 1/3 MLB innings that season. He struck out 20 and walked only five, holding hitters to a .205 batting average.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries and Getting DFA’d

Some bad luck infiltrated the early part of Warren’s MLB career. A positive COVID-19 test put him on the sidelines for nearly a month in late 2021. He made the MLB team in 2022, but had a couple of short IL stints that year with a broken nose and a triceps strain. He thrived in 34 Triple-A innings in 2022, posting a 2.12 ERA, but regressed to a 5.63 ERA in 16 innings with the Angels.

Los Angeles designated Warren for assignment on Jan. 9, 2023. He cleared waivers, though, and ended up back with Salt Lake four days later. It was the first of two times Warren would be DFA’d by the Angels.

“The first time, I thought it was a little unfair,” he said. “I mean, I threw the ball well the year before. I didn’t really feel like I deserved that.”

After five outings for the Bees, Warren was called up by the Angels in late April. But he made just two appearances with the big league club before returning to the IL.

It was worse this time. He had a torn UCL and needed Tommy John surgery.

Warren underwent the surgery in May. He rehabbed in Anaheim for a couple months, then went back home. He was able to get through the process without any setbacks.

He went out to Arizona in January to get ready for spring training. The Angels DFA’d him—again—in early February, then released him the next day. After parts of six seasons with the Angels’ organization, Warren was a free agent.

“I enjoyed my time there, for sure. I met a lot of close friends. I met one of my best friends—I’ve been in his wedding; he’s been in my wedding,” Warren said. “I liked the staff over there. I’d gotten to know the staff pretty well. And I know there was some front-office changes, which can probably hurt some people, like the people that draft you that are out of there. They kind of changed their values or whatever.

“But, I mean, I can’t really talk down on them by any means. Because I made my major league debut with them.”

Warren said it was nice to switch things up last year, getting a change of scenery with the Giants. He signed with them six days after the Angels released him. He had gotten three or four minor league offers right away, but the moment he heard from his agent that the Giants were offering him a big league deal, he pounced on the opportunity.

Warren continued his rehab with Robbie Ray, a process that the Giants’ staff helped out a lot with.

“It was nice being under a vet like him,” Warren said. “We had similar characteristics and whatnot.”

After making some rehab outings in June and July, he was reactivated and optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on July 13. The rest of the season was spent between there and San Francisco, with 10 2/3 innings of two-run ball in the majors. He totaled 27 minor-league innings in 2024.

“Threw pretty well. Can’t complain about having a major surgery like that, and then coming back,” Warren said. “I pretty much had the season worth of innings, and stayed healthy.”

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Meeting the Mets

The Mets finally stepped in and claimed Warren on Jan. 15 of this year, a week after Warren had been DFA’d by the Giants. He said he loved getting to play spring training in Florida for the first time, with his wife and his dog by his side. Warren had a friend who was with the Mets a few years ago and told him nothing but good things about the organization.

“Thankful I was claimed by the Mets,” Warren said. “I’ve loved every second since I’ve been here.”

So far, things have gone well for Warren in New York. As of May 19, he owns a 2.70 ERA in 16 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse.

“The first few weeks were kind of tough with the weather, ’cause it’s cold,” Warren said. “Leaving Port St. Lucie, 80-plus degrees, to come to the 30s to low 40s, feels like 20s — that was kind of tough. But we’ve got a good team. We’ve got an older team with a few younger prospects. We all get along pretty well. We’re having a great time.”

Warren has found his success in another environment that’s notorious for being hitter-friendly. But it’s something he tries to block out.

“You always hear that, but you’re gonna go out there and pitch to your strengths every time,” he said. “You definitely don’t want to be thinking about that going up to the mound, or you’re probably gonna give up a homer.”

Warren briefly cracked the MLB squad in early May, serving as the 27th player for a doubleheader. He pitched a hitless inning with a strikeout.

“I was in camp with all those guys and had gotten to know them pretty well,” Warren said. “So when I got there, everyone welcomed me with open arms.”

The first batter he faced, Pedro Pagés, hit a ball in a strikingly similar spot as Laureano did four years ago in Warren’s MLB debut. This time, it was Pete Alonso to field it. His throw to first was low, but Warren dug it out while on the run. It prompted a classic “Oh, wow!” from Gary Cohen on the broadcast.

“Pete was very excited about that,” Warren said with a laugh. “I was honestly kind of surprised I got it. It bounced up and went right into my pocket.”

As the extra man for a doubleheader, getting sent back to Syracuse wasn’t a surprise. But his mission hasn’t changed.

“Being sent back down—which, I know that’s part of the business—that’s kind of what fires you up the most,” Warren said. “Everyone that goes up there feels like they deserve to be up there and stick.”

Every scoreless appearance that Warren makes for Syracuse is only strengthening his case to get back up there. But whether down in Syracuse, or pitching high-leverage MLB innings, Warren has reached the pinnacle that every young baseball player aspires to.

Less than a decade ago, he was just another young hopeful, struggling to even find collegiate opportunities. And now he’s built himself into a big leaguer.

The post Austin Warren Interview: From JUCO Shortstop to Mets Pitcher appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Canadian-born 29-year-old signed a split-contract, one-year, major league deal with the Mets in December 2024. A utility player (he can play first and third base, along with the corner outfield spots), Young played with the Chicago Cubs from 2022-2023, hitting .210/.290/.435/.725 over 22 games. He split the 2024 campaign between the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate and the Doosan Bears of the KBO League. Young belted 10 home runs with Memphis, posting a .917 OPS, while smacking 11 home runs in Korea with a 1.080 OPS.

With the severity of Jesse Winker‘s oblique injury unknown after Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader in St. Louis (he’s likely heading to the IL, but for how long remains to be seen), Young might find a spot on the Mets’ roster should Winker miss time. Already on the 40-man roster, Young has a .302/.474/.581/1.055 line through 14 games (includes a four-game rehab stint in Single-A) with nine hits, one home run, nine RBIs and seven walks.

Metsmerized Editor-in-chief Mike Mayer had the pleasure of asking Young a handful of questions regarding his career. Below is a summarized recap of that interview.

Jared Young. By Ed Delany of Metsmerized.

Home and Away

It’s not uncommon for players to make league changes during the season, but Young made a big one in 2024. An opportunity to play in the KBO came up earlier than expected while with the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate, and it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Young notes that playing overseas was something he had always wanted to experience in his career, and he felt like it would be a chance to go somewhere and prove how good of a player he could be on any stage. On playing in the KBO, Young commented:

“When I got there I really had to lean into just trusting myself and the game in play. You’re kind of on your own over there so being confident was huge. I decided to come back to the States and sign with the Mets however because I feel like my big league career is just getting started.”

Young signed with the Mets as depth, especially when Pete Alonso‘s free agent market was uncertain.

Player Profile

As noted above, the Mets covet players who can do a little of everything. Young fits that profile to a tee, as he’s played all over the infield and outfield and even pitched a bit. However, he notes that he’s most comfortable in the outfield, especially since that’s where he’s been playing the most over the past couple of years. Young isn’t one to get comfortable in one spot.

“It’s all about taking the time to get the reps in everywhere in practice and then being confident in games.”

The right-hand throwing and left-handed batting Young brings three gloves to every game: one for first base, one for third, and one for the outfield. He’s always ready to go wherever a manager needs him to play.

‘Tis the Season

In spring training with the Mets, Young played a lot of first base and practiced most of his time there, but as his time in the organization has progressed, he’s seen more and more time in the outfield. He hasn’t logged an inning yet at first with Syracuse this year but has seen time at second, third and the outfield.

Young is just another player on a long list to rave about the Mets’ organization as a whole. Coming into camp and a new organization, he wasn’t sure what the vibe and feel would be but confirmed that the Mets know what they’re doing.

“I think it’s great from the top down. Having old teammates is always the best, and [Brandon] Waddell and the Cubs guys have been great.”

Looking Ahead

With the 2025 season still in its infancy, Young reflects on his expectations and goals for the year. Like any ballplayer, the goal and expectation is to get up to the big league club and help them out as much as possible.

“In order to do that you have to be healthy and strong and playing at your best. Everyone always says that cliche answer but it’s the truth. When my names called I’ll be ready.”

We thank Jared again for taking the time to speak with us and wish him luck in the 2025 season!

The post Jared Young Ready to Return to Majors appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Of course, one cannot speak about the most impressive seasons on the mound by a Mets hurler without mentioning Robert Allen (R.A.) Dickey in 2012.

Dickey’s dominance that year was impressive for a host of reasons. For one, he led the National League in innings pitched with 233.2 in his age-37 season, while posting the fourth-lowest ERA among qualified starters at 2.73. He recorded back-to-back one-hitters on June 13 and June 18, a feat that had not been accomplished since Dave Stieb in 1988. And, of course, Dickey accomplished all of this while throwing a knuckleball over 85 percent of the time.

The veteran righty went 20-6 over 34 games (33 starts), recording 230 strikeouts (most in the N.L.) with a 1.053 WHIP. Along with his pair of one-hitters, Dickey tossed a franchise-record 32 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking the previous record held by Jerry Koosman.

Dickey’s durability was on full display in 2012. He tossed at least six innings in 31 of his 33 starts and went at least seven innings in 22 games. Dickey’s 27 quality starts led all starters, and his three shutouts were the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone’s five in 1992. To further illustrate the dominance Dickey displayed, he’s one of two pitchers in Major League Baseball history (along with Randy Johnson in 2001, 2002 and 2004) who posted a season with 225 or more innings pitched, 225 or more strikeouts and a sub-2.75 ERA in his age-37 or older season.

With 27 of 32 first-place votes, Dickey took home the N.L. Cy Young Award, becoming the first knuckleball pitcher to win it. The hardware was a testament to Dickey’s resiliency, as he made a career-altering transition to a full-time knuckleball pitcher at the behest of the Texas Rangers—which included pitching coach Orel Hershiser and manager Buck Showalter—in 2005.

Dickey spent years tinkering with various mechanics both in the majors and minors, having to unlearn being a conventional pitcher. Working with the small fraternity of other knuckleball pitchers—past and present—Dickey endured to keep his professional baseball career alive. Following his tenure with the Rangers, Dickey bounced around organizations before signing a minor league pact with the Mets in December 2009.

No one could have imagined that a veteran pitching depth signing would become one of the best free-agent deals in the organization’s history.

Overall, Dickey appeared in 94 big league games with the Mets from 2010 to 2012, posting a 2.95 ERA and 10.2 fWAR. Among 33 pitchers who tossed at least 600 innings with the team, Dickey owns the third-lowest ERA, behind deGrom (2.52) and Seaver (2.57).

Dickey, 50, retired following the 2017 season with the Atlanta Braves. Just as his signature pitch moved unpredictably, so too did Dickey’s professional career. Yet, through it all, Dickey adapted and experienced a career resurgence when many others would have been waning.

I had the privilege of speaking with Dickey in February, where we discussed his transition to a knuckleballer, the knuckleball fraternity and his tenure in New York.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Dickey: It kind of depends on what stage of life I was at. Early on, Nolan Ryan was always somebody I admired. I grew up an Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs fan because I got TBS and WGN in the South. So I would constantly be watching their games.

Greg Maddux was a huge influence on me. Rick Sutcliffe was another favorite player. John Smoltz and that era of Braves pitchers were pretty special. That was fun to watch.

MMO: Is it true that your grandfather was the person who initially showed you a knuckleball grip?

Dickey: Yeah! When I started pitching, my grandfather whipped out an old scrapbook article where he struck out like 21 out of 22 batters in one game throwing a knuckleball. He said, “This is how I held it,” and he tried to teach it to me. At the time, I just wanted to throw as hard as I could.

I filed it away in the back of my mind and played with it as I got older. Obviously, it’s something I ended up going with full-time. But at the time, I was just having fun and being goofy with it. My grandfather introduced me to the grip and the idea of a ball not spinning and being able to pitch with it.

MMO: Was that the grip you used early on with the Rangers, which they called “The Thing?”

Dickey: You know, Joe Morgan on “Sunday Night Baseball” kind of gave it that moniker; I never called it that. It was just a really hard knuckleball for me. Some people thought it was a split-hybrid, others thought it was a forkball. It was really a knuckleball that I threw as hard as I could.

I would throw one or two a game just so people would think that I had a different pitch. As I started becoming worse as a conventional pitcher, I needed a weapon I could use consistently to get big-league hitters out. My knuckleball was what ended up being the ticket.

MMO: Can you talk about the moment when the Rangers—and specifically Orel Hershiser and Buck Showalter—talked to you about transitioning to a full-time knuckleball pitcher?

Dickey: I was kind of at the end of my rope as a conventional pitcher. Hershiser watched me play catch on the side for a couple of years throwing a knuckleball and thought I had a good one. We would throw it in a game every once in a while.

They watched Tim Wakefield come in and beat us up a few times and were hopeful they could develop one of those kinds of guys. They asked me if I would be willing to do it, and they bluntly and gracefully told me what I had as a conventional pitcher probably wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I could see the writing on the wall a little bit when it came to my conventional stuff.

I committed in 2005 to go down to Triple-A and try to figure out how to be a full-time knuckleballer where I threw it 70 to 80 percent of the time. That’s when I started my knuckleball journey.

It was actually three people: Hershiser, Mark Connor, who was our bullpen coach and a really good friend, and Buck. They all agreed that they thought I could do it and gave me the runway to make mistakes with it. The front office was great with it, and Jon Daniels and John Hart were great with it.

MMO: Were there specific drills or mechanical adjustments you needed to make to train and get comfortable with the pitch?

Dickey: I was always trying to simplify. A knuckleball is the art of repeating a mechanic of if you can produce a ball that does not spin. And that’s really hard to do. You’re having to unlearn a mechanic that you have known since you were little and relearn a mechanic that can produce a ball like that.

My best knuckleball would be a ball that rotated a quarter of a revolution from the time it left my hand until the time it got to the catcher’s mitt. That took a lot of simplification of mechanics and repeatability.

Honestly, the drill work I did was just trying to figure out—over and over again against a brick wall or a cinderblock wall in a gym—whatever I could do to try and get the grip right, my mechanic right and my release point right where I didn’t have to think about it. If you have to think about it, usually it’s not going to turn out well. I wanted it to be something that I did so much with my muscle memory that when I threw it, I didn’t have to worry about it not spinning, and knew it was not going to spin. That all took repetition.

MMO: How did fellow knuckleball pitchers like Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro and Tim Wakefield aid in your development?

Dickey: They were everything. Without those guys, I would have never achieved any of the heights that I did. Charlie Hough was the first guy I ever met with when it came to trying to figure out how to do it full-time. The very first thing he did was change my grip a little. He didn’t change it a ton, but he changed it enough that it was a really good adjustment that helped me be more consistent.

After that, I got to meet with Tim Wakefield. He was so selfless with his knowledge. I’ll never forget being in Seattle playing for the Mariners; I was trying to make my way back up as a knuckleball pitcher, and I was in the bullpen. He invited me to come watch his bullpen when the Red Sox came to play. He said, “Why don’t you come watch and ask questions?”

That was a competitor, but that’s the bond between knuckleballers because it’s a very difficult thing to do. We want to perpetuate the craft of being a knuckleballer. We share whatever we have to make sure that the pitch doesn’t dissolve. And that’s what their hope was.

I think with me, they saw someone who could maybe carry the torch of being a knuckleballer. Tim poured into me; Phil Niekro poured into me. Charlie, Phil and Tim were all my Jedi Council on the knuckleball. They were all on my speed dial. I would send them a video if I was struggling, and they would help me unpack it and make corrections.

A normal pitching coach doesn’t have a ton of experience with knuckleball guys, so you have to be your own best coach. I had to know what it was like to coach myself. The only way to do that was to ask good questions to people who had done it before me, and those guys had done it well.

MMO: At what point did you become aware that you threw a hard knuckleball? Did you feel you had better control with one over the other?

Dickey: That’s a good question. For me, I could always throw a hard knuckleball. When I started my journey with the Rangers, they wanted me to kind of be like Wakefield. I felt like I had to subtract speed all the time with it. I think that wasn’t my personality with the pitch. It was difficult for me to slow it down that much and throw a high-sixties knuckleball consistently because my arm speed was such that it just would roll up there and I couldn’t get it to not spin.

It was when I did a lot of work with Hough and Niekro that they both said the same thing. They said, “You should be throwing this as hard as you’re capable of throwing it and still subtract spin.” That was an epiphany for me because I had been trying to be someone else for so long with it. My first two years, I was trying to be Tim Wakefield; I was trying to be Charlie Hough. I didn’t really realize that I needed to embrace my own personality with the pitch. My personality with the pitch was that I could throw it hard.

I was working with Niekro, and something kind of clicked when we were working together. He said, “Man, that is an angry knuckleball.” He described it as an “angry pitch.” That really stuck with me. Every knuckleball I threw from then on, I was trying to make angry. The way I made it angry was by throwing it hard.

Once I did that, I realized that I could keep it in the strike zone a lot better, and the hitter had to respect it a lot more if I was in the strike zone or off it. That was a real turning point for me.

MMO: What made the New York Mets an attractive organization to sign your minor league deal with in December 2009?

Dickey: Life’s about relationships and networking. Omar Minaya was an advocate for me. He knew my journey and felt like I could maybe be a contributor there. He sold me on the opportunity that it could be a possibility if I showed that I was consistent with the pitch and they would embrace it. And they did; they stayed true to their word.

I didn’t get a lot of opportunities in big league camp, but when I went down, I tried to make the most of it. They saw that and called me up, and the rest was history. For those three years in New York, it was some of the most fun baseball that I’ve ever played. I had such an idea on how to be consistent with the pitch. That was really what separated me from other guys.

MMO: In 2011, you posted a 15.3 percent strikeout rate. That increased to 24.8 percent in your Cy Young Award-winning season in 2012. Is there anything you can attribute to that near 10 percent increase in strikeout rate?

Dickey: I became able for a couple of years—don’t ask me why I couldn’t do it more consistently before or after—in 2012 and 2013 when I struck out a ton of guys. It was because I could throw a knuckleball that I could elevate that would seem like it was rising. That was a ball that I could manipulate in a way that just didn’t behave like the other knuckleballs would. It presented like it was going to do what it normally does, and then I could keep it elevated.

The things that helped me strike out guys were changing speeds with it, learning how to do that in the strike zone and then being able to throw a hard, elevated knuckleball that stayed on one plane and didn’t break out. It still presented like every other knuckleball that I threw, and that was a big deal! Having the feel for two years is what produced all of those strikeouts, I think.

MMO: It was like you were able to tunnel all the different variations of your knuckleball.

Dickey: I could. I had a good year in 2010, and the reason I felt like I had a good year was because I was throwing strikes with it consistently. It was an anomaly in the league; guys couldn’t prepare for it, and it was hard and I just threw strikes with it.

I induced a lot of weak contact in ’10, but not a lot of strikeouts. The ’11 season was kind of similar, but when ’12 came, I just really had a good feel for it. It was just that time in my process that I’ve been working on it for so long that I could do different things with it and become a real artist with it. Before then, I was more of a workman. I was punching the clock, and I knew what I could do, but I didn’t have a lot of artistry in what I was doing.

In ’12 and ’13, I felt like I could move it around a good bit, and it would behave the way I wanted it to. That’s hard to do with a knuckleball, which I found out from ’14 to ’17. I didn’t necessarily have the same feel as I did for that two-year period.

MMO: Did you stay consistent with your knuckleball grip, or would you tinker with it at all?

Dickey: No, I’ve kept the same grip every single time I threw a knuckleball. I would change my arm path. That’s how I could manipulate the ball in a way that was different from other knuckleballers. I learned if I could be cognizant of my arm path through my release point, I could make it do different things. I had a good feel for that for about four to five years, and those were my best years.

MMO: When you look back on that 2012 season, are there certain starts that stand out?

Dickey: I threw three one-hitters. One of the one-hitters I threw was in 2010 against the Phillies where Cole Hamels was the only hit. That, to me, was a turning point in my confidence with the pitch. It gave me a real sense that I can do this consistently. I have a weapon now that I can trust.

In ’12, I was just in a zone for a long time. I think the back-to-back one-hitters against Tampa and Baltimore were really kind of special. That whole year in general was pretty neat for me.

MMO: What was your routine for taking care of your nails to maintain the grip you wanted on the ball?

Dickey: I had a nail hardener that I used from a company that was kind of a sponsor. I had to make sure they weren’t too long because they would bend. A bend in the nail would promote spin on the ball. I wanted to take as much spin off the ball as possible.

It was all about the angle at which I filed my nails; it was important because I wanted as much surface area as I could to impact the baseball. I would play around with that in the dugout in between starts. There was a lot of attention to that just because it’s such a vital part of my pitch.

I always felt funny because I was going to be embarrassed if I had to miss a start because of a broken nail; I thought that was so weenie. [Laughs.] There were times I would crack a nail, and I would have to battle through just like a guy with an arm injury. It was bizarre, but we figured it out.

MMO: For your career, no catcher caught more of your games than Josh Thole (164). What made Thole such a strong batterymate?

Dickey: He knew what I wanted before I stepped on the rubber. There were a lot of games when he didn’t even put down a sign. He knew that I wanted to throw a fastball in, and we didn’t even have to put down a sign. The communication was great.

He had a great knack for being able to receive a knuckleball in a way that you never saw him jab at it. Most guys are taught to kind of get underneath the pitch to frame it, or get on the side of it, or catch it as it’s coming into the strike zone. And you can’t do that with a knuckleball because it breaks so sharp and late. You’ve got to let it come to you and just react.

He had great hand-eye coordination and no ego at all. He would catch all of my pens and throw with me in the outfield. Thole would do everything he could to try to be the best at it because he knew that was something I needed and depended on. He made himself really good at it. That probably helped him stay in the major leagues for a couple of years.

MMO: What was your initial reaction when you heard you were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in the winter of 2012?

Dickey: I think my initial reaction was sadness. I loved my experience with the Mets and didn’t want to go, but I certainly understood it as an older veteran and professional and I was getting close to 40. So I was not under the illusion that the world revolved around me.

I love Sandy Alderson and thought he was a great GM. We had a great relationship, and he was always honest with me. I knew that they were shopping it around, and I knew why. It made a lot of sense to me as a business decision, but it didn’t stop the emotional reaction. I was leaving a place where I had kind of resurrected a career and shared a lot of incredible moments with incredible people and fans. It was a special time for me.

Once I got over the sadness, I was excited. The team we were trying to put together in Toronto was pretty neat. We ended up going to the playoffs two of the four years I was there. So it was great.

MMO: What are some things you’ve been up to since retiring from playing?

Dickey: I’m just being a full-time father and husband; that’s why I left the game. I didn’t leave because I couldn’t do it anymore. In my last year, I threw almost 200 innings for the Braves (190 innings in 2017). I left because it was time for me to be a father full-time. I’ve missed so much of my kids’ lives. Now I probably overcompensate; they want me to go back and play. [Laughs.] I’ve loved being a dad and being a husband to a woman who did it all herself for so long.

We have a 40-acre farm in Franklin, Tenn. I get to be involved in my community, coach my son’s high school team and be with my kids. It’s been a real blessing.

MMO: Do you help advise or teach other pitchers the knuckleball?

Dickey: Yes! I’ve been able to go to a couple of different spring trainings and work with guys who have the potential to go down that path. I talk with them about some mechanical adjustments and try to help them be consistent or equip them with something that might help them break through. That’s been really fun. I talk on Zoom or calls with different clubs about guys in their organization.

My hope is to see a couple more knuckleballers within the next five years. I don’t know if we’re going to get that, but there’s a kid in San Diego whose knuckleball I love. There are enough good potential knuckleball pitchers out there who can maybe do it. I’m hoping one of them is going to break through.

The post MMO Exclusive: A Conversation with R.A. Dickey appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This week, Mike and I are joined by a special guest: Jon Hurwitz, co-creator of the hit TV series Cobra-Kai and diehard Mets fan! Jon had some great conversations with us about his love for the Mets, expectations for this season, the Steve Cohen effect, and much more!

What does the new ownership group mean to a Mets fan in their 40s who has seen “varying” levels of ownership in their life? For Jon, it felt life-changing:

“When it was official that Steve Cohen was going to buy the team, I just remember calling all my Mets-fan friends, my dad, and just saying that the rest of my life is going to be so much better. Outside of my family and work, the Mets are literally everything to me. I don’t pay attention to any other sports teams, when I younger I was into other sports but I just don’t have the bandwidth for that anymore. So my bandwidth is the Mets. That’s what I follow all the time, so as soon as I knew that a guy who was richer than all of the other owners whose wife and father-in-law are huge Mets fans, this is important stuff here. He’s a smart guy who cares about running a good organization; he believes in the process and working with the team, but he really did change my life overnight.”

Watch and subscribe to the MMO Youtube channel here.

The post MMO Weekly Episode 104: Cobra Kai Co-Creator Jon Hurwitz appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jonah Tong. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Tong’s baseball career started with playing in Canada, where he was born and raised in Markham, Ontario. After graduating high school, Tong traveled to Arizona with other Canadians for an amateur baseball Pro Tour in 2022, where he got to play against professional players while facing competition from top-level Arizona JUCO colleges. From there, Tong got the invite to play at the Georgia Premier Academy in April and May, and later the MLB Draft League.

With a commitment to North Dakota State University, Tong ultimately altered that plan, as he was selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft and signed for the full slot value at $226,000.

After being limited to 21 innings in 2023, Tong got off to a fast start in 2024. In his first five appearances, Tong struck out 43 batters while allowing just two unearned runs—none earned!—over 23.2 innings. Over three levels in ’24, Tong tossed 113 innings with a 3.03 ERA. Among 313 minor league pitchers with a minimum of 100 innings pitched, Tong posted the sixth-highest strikeout rate (34.2 percent) and second-lowest fielding independent pitching (2.33).

Following the ’24 season, Tong went home to Canada for a bit but arrived back in Port St. Lucie in mid-January for a preseason camp. Noting the limited places to throw in Canada, Tong has enjoyed the ability to get his work in without weather limitations.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tong in February, where he discussed his arsenal, studying major league pitchers and the mental side of the game.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Tong: My favorite player used to be Brett Cecil. An odd one for a lot of people. I remember I went with my rookie travel ball team to this meet-and-greet with the Blue Jays. We got to take pictures with some of the players and went to the game. He was the first person I saw and was like, Wow! That’s a big-league pitcher right there.

Jacob deGrom was up there, and Tim Lincecum became a huge influence, as most people know.

Credit: USA TODAY

MMO: Who introduced you to the game?

Tong: I always tell this funny story about how I woke up one day, and I was trying to find some sports place. I was going through the newspaper, and I saw this local T-Ball organization. I asked my parents if I could join, and their faces lit up. They said absolutely because they both have softball backgrounds. So, technically me, I guess, but my parents heavily influenced my career.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start to concentrate on pitching?

Tong: Since I knew I couldn’t hit! [Laughs.] My dad and I would get into some mini-arguments about me hitting because my dad always wanted me to be a two-way player in college and conquer the international scene. I said, ‘Dad, that’s just not happening.’

My middle sister played soccer and did gymnastics back home at the highest level you could for the longest time, and I was like, Okay, she’s not going to the Olympics for both of those.

He always wanted me to hit and have as many options as possible. When I was 16, I went on this fall tournament. I got caught stealing three times, and I tagged up on a ball that didn’t leave the infield. My coach looked at me and said, “Maybe we should do pitching.” My dad wasn’t fully sold, but that’s the story. [Laughs.]

MMO: That ended up being a good decision in the long run though.

Tong: I think so. Funny enough, my grandpa—out of nowhere this past season—came up to me and said, “Jonah, I think you should start hitting.” I said, ‘I don’t think that’s how it works.’ He said, “I think you could. Look at [Shohei] Ohtani!” And I went, ‘Yeah, okay, I think I’m good.’ [Laughs.]

If you need a bunt, I can do that. That’s pretty much it.

MMO: I found your path into professional baseball so interesting. For those who don’t know, can you talk about your journey from Canada to the States to eventually getting drafted by the Mets in 2022?

Tong: In the ’21 offseason, I started to work through everything. I just got into college, and then in January, I got invited to Arizona for this travel ball team from Canada. I went down and played a bunch of the spring training teams; it’s kind of like our [major league] spring training. At that point, I looked at my parents and said, ‘I don’t think it makes sense for me to ramp up for this and then all of a sudden just stop.’ I looked around, and I followed Georgia Premier, and I think Pro 5 because my buddy went there.

Georgia Premier hit me up after that and asked if I would consider coming down to play. I told them I would think about it. Then the Arizona thing happened, and I said, ‘I think this is a good opportunity for me to go and branch off on my own and start learning about who I am as a person, and see if I can do it.’ So I did that, and I had an awesome time.

The Draft League was kind of the same deal when the season ended in May and I wanted to find somewhere else to play before the draft. My agent made a few calls, and I ended up getting an opportunity to go to the Draft League. I met a lot of people, and it was a lot of fun.

I think that’s the place I learned that baseball is not going to be easy. You’re facing guys who are three or four years older, but you do learn a lot.

MMO: Were the Mets on your radar as a potential landing spot in the 2022 Draft?

Tong: Yeah, I was close with the area scout, Marlin McPhail, but I didn’t know that [he was with the Mets] at the time. I just saw a guy with an iconic bucket hat he wore everywhere he went.

I remember talking to him after my first start, and from there we just started talking more and more. He would ask how I was doing and adjusting and would ask me different situations. It was honestly refreshing to talk to somebody after being away from everybody I’ve ever known. To get to know somebody and pick his brain was the coolest thing.

I really didn’t know that I was going to go anywhere [in the draft] until late the night before when I started to hear a little bit more.

MMO: You mentioned being away from home and how big of an adjustment it was. Can you expand on some of those adjustments and challenges you faced?

Tong: Every stop I made, I had to learn something new. When I was in Arizona, I was with a few buddies from back home. In my first inning there, I walked five straight guys. I had no idea where it was going. I asked if I could go one more inning, and it was three-up-three-down with three punchouts against a junior college from Nebraska. And I was like, Alright, I’m just trying to get my feet wet. I was still having a lot of fun because I was with people I knew.

When I went to Georgia, I got picked up by the pastor of the academy and his wife. I thought it was a little different, but I was excited about a new challenge. I was dropped off at the academy in the middle of Statesboro, Georgia, which if you know where Statesboro, Georgia, is, is nothing crazy.

The first time I called my mom; I was just bawling my eyes out. I said, ‘Mom, I’m homesick, I can’t do this anymore.’ She was trying to walk me off the cliff and asked if I wanted to be picked up. I told her no, and that if I was going to go to college, I couldn’t be doing this. Shoot, if I’m going to play baseball, I can’t be doing this because you’re going to be put in situations like that. The next day I woke up and made some friends; the rest is history.

With the Draft League, the experience from the academy helped, and that just continued to where I’m at now. It all taught me to be flexible and open-minded because you don’t know where you’re going to be day-to-day.

MMO: One intriguing trait in your arsenal is the carry your four-seam fastball generates. When did you start to realize that your four-seamer has such rise, and how do you utilize that on the mound?

@TJStats

Tong: When I went to the Draft League, there was a tweet that went out with a highlight of what I did. Honestly, I thought I pitched horribly in my last game. It was not pretty. But they highlighted something called IVB, which stands for induced vertical break. The number was around 20, and I thought, Okay, that’s interesting, but I don’t know what that means. 

When we got to draft camp, they told me that my fastball had a pretty good amount of ride, and I told them I had no idea what that was. They took the time to explain it to me, and once I figured out what it was, I looked up some pitchers for inspiration. Tyler Glasnow was a big comp for fastball shape, I guess because I have more cut ride. I started to watch him and figured out where he pitched. I noticed that if it had ride, it would make sense to pitch up, which is exactly what they told me.

It’s been a big part of my game, especially going into this year, and trying to learn how to use that and pair it with my offspeed [pitches]. I think that’s why my curveball plays; even though it’s not the fastest pitch and not the nastiest thing in the world, there’s enough difference in movement.

MMO: Along with your four-seamer, you also feature a changeup, curveball and slider. Can you talk about the rest of your arsenal? Is it true that you learned your changeup and curveball grips from watching videos online?

Tong: Yeah! My dad and I used to throw across the street—we still do occasionally—and he said I should try and learn a curveball. Originally, I threw a knuckle curve, or so I thought. Basically, I had my two fingers on top, and I pushed it with my fingers. I thought it was a knuckleball, but it was really like a knuckle curve.

Fast forward, they told me that pitch was probably not going to play, and I should consider throwing a regular curveball. I scoured the internet, played around with some stuff, and looked at other pitchers. Clayton Kershaw was a big one; that’s a Hall of Fame curveball. I looked at that and made adjustments and didn’t really think about it for a while.

With my changeup, an influencer and former player with the Cardinals, Robby Rowland, had a video when I was nine or ten of him throwing a Vulcan changeup. I was like, Woah, Vulcan? That sounds sick! Why would I ever throw a circle changeup when I can throw a Vulcan? I tried to learn that, and my dad didn’t want me throwing a splitter at that age. So I thought, How can I mess with something that he can’t tell me I can’t do? The next best thing was this changeup. That developed over the years, and lately, we’ve been tweaking it and trying to improve it. We’ve seen some really interesting things with improving the shape.

The slider was something new. I remember in 2023, I felt like I couldn’t throw a strike. I remember walking into our pitching office, and I went, ‘We need something new because I’m frustrated.’ I was at the point in my career where I was just like, This sucks, and pitching is brutal right now. You go from a place of having so much success in high school, and then you’re challenged for the first time. Looking back at it now, it was probably the most influential year I’ve had up until this point, and we stumbled on a few things.

Going back to Tyler Glasnow, he had this short bullet slider that was gross. I was going to try to copy something like that; I kind of mirrored his arsenal. In developing that—it’s here and there—it’s been pretty consistent lately, which I’m happy about. I’m trying to use it as a bridge pitch because of my big curveball and rising fastball.

We tried working on a two-seamer, and it’s been interesting. It’s basically like, if Glasnow throws it, I’m trying it. [Laughs.] I’m trying to work on that. We’re focusing more on my consistency with the slider and changeup, and maybe we’ll bring in the two-seamer.

MMO: I interviewed Christian Scott recently, and he sang the praises of two developmental figures in the organization Kyle Rogers and Eric Jagers. What has been your relationship with the player development staff?

Tong: It wouldn’t be fair of me not to include everyone on our staff. There are honestly too many names, but guys like Dan McKinney, Garrett Baker, A. J. Sager, Luis Alvarado, Miguel Bonilla, Jagers and Rogers. Everybody has built this massive unit, and being able to pick their brains and learn from them put me in a good spot.

Rogers is awesome when it comes to dealing with your body and trying to figure out what you can do mechanically and pitch-wise. All of the other pitching coaches together have helped me out a lot.

The biggest mentor that I’ve had so far has been Garrett Baker; he’s our integration pitching coach. He loves this Bruce Lee saying: Be like water. You know, be adaptable. I’ve kind of taken that as my mantra. I’ve become close with him.

The biggest thing he’s taught me with everything in general is, yeah, things may suck right now, but how are you going to learn to adapt to it? You’re pitching in 115-degree heat in July, and it’s not ideal conditions. You go play in Brooklyn in April, and it’s 25 degrees, and Binghamton and the big leagues are the same. But the difference is there are more people on you, there’s added pressure, and things aren’t always going to go your way. Some things are just out of your control. How are you not going to let it affect you? You have to ride the wave. Just take it, react to it, be able to adjust, and remain the pitcher that you are.

That’s been the thing that I’ve been constantly learning the most, and it’s had the biggest impact on my career thus far. I think that has helped me transition from the ’23 season to the ’24 season, and now moving into ’25. It’s about looking at everything with a different perspective. How am I going to ride this wave? How am I going to continue to develop and not think the world is crashing when things aren’t going well?

MMO: You really seem to be in touch with the mental aspect of the game.

Tong: One hundred percent. It goes back to the Bruce Lee mantra; it’s on the inside of my glove, which is the coolest thing. When I look at it, it’s just where I need to be. We have to recognize that we are in the presence of some of the best players in the world. Being able to go to the field and get to throw with Christian Scott one day, or throw with Calvin Ziegler. Francisco Lindor is playing on the field next to us, or Jett Williams is right there hitting. Everybody together builds this unit, and you kind of take advantage of that.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

I think being able to mentally understand that you don’t need to be someone bigger is the biggest challenge for me. I always felt like I needed to do something extra because some things weren’t going my way. Our mental performance team through the years has changed, but the people always have the same message: don’t be someone bigger than yourself. Be a good teammate, and things will work out in the way that they’re supposed to. I’m a firm believer in that. I have bad days and good days; it’s still a constant battle. Confidence can be a constant battle throughout my career.

I think for high school guys specifically, that’s the thing that we don’t recognize until it’s happening. To get out of something, and then once you’re out of it, you have a different perspective. It’s almost like you’re enlightened about it. If I could go back and talk to anybody, specifically myself, I’d say, ‘The faster you recognize that things aren’t going to go your way all the time and tackle the mental side of baseball, you can enjoy it so much more.’

MMO: One of the many investments Steve Cohen has made with this team is the pitching lab in Port St. Lucie. Have you had a chance to use it?

Tong: I’ve gotten to throw there a few times; it’s pretty cool. For a guy who knows nothing about what goes on, there are a lot of smart people around who make sure we have access to everything. I’m still learning what’s going on in there, because again, I’ll look in and be like, Oh, that’s new! What does that do? 

It really helps us as pitchers understand stuff that we can’t normally see from a biomechanical standpoint. I do find it interesting. It’ll be interesting to see how it translates over the next few years.

MMO: Is the lab available for pitchers to drop in at any point? Or, are there certain times that it’s available?

Tong: I’m honestly not sure. I know that we’ll throw in there a few times in the year, but everybody’s case is a little bit different. I’m sure if you’re working on something mechanically, that’s going to be your best place to get what you need.

MMO: You mentioned having control issues in 2023. Of course, it was a small sample size (21 innings). However, you went from a 22 percent walk rate to 10 percent over 113 innings in 2024. What adjustments were made?

Tong: Going back to Rogers, he kind of built our prior movement routine, and stuff like that. Baker kind of helped me realize that I have to be adaptable. Over the course of that entire season, we were trying to nail down my mechanics and make sure everything was repeatable. That’s the biggest word I was fed.

Going into the offseason, I took that and used some water bags or Orca bags, which are huge for me. Doing different plyo variations and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, which I think over time helped me be more resilient on the mound. As a result, the mechanics were cleaned up a bit.

I wouldn’t say there’s one specific fix; there were just a lot of things that slowly started to merge and click to kind of where we are right now. There’s still room to grow, but I like where we’re going from that.

Jonah Tong. Photo by @ITSDMPhotos via Binghamton Rumble Ponies

MMO: You talked about your repertoire in a video for MLB Pipeline last year. In it, you mentioned that the curveball is the first pitch you throw in your bullpens before a game. Is that still the case? And how do you adjust if you don’t have a feel for that pitch on a given day?

Tong: I like to either start with it or end with it. Lately, it’s been ending with it because it’s more of a feel thing. For instance, in live BP, it’s always the funniest thing when it’s the last pitch, and even though I just want to throw a fastball to challenge myself, I throw an offspeed. I thought everyone gave me weird looks when I did that because they were expecting a fastball. And I was like, You know what? Let’s just make this a thing. 

Going into the season, that was one of those things I wanted to make sure I had a feel for. That helped me by throwing it as the last pitch. It just made me feel like I had this confidence. The last fastball is generally my best fastball in my sides or bullpens; not always, but mostly. Being able to change that up with my curveball can give me a little more confidence with it.

It’s funny that you asked if it makes me feel like I can throw it in the game. Yes and no. I think when I go into the game trusting it, it’s pretty good, and it does what I need it to do. When I get away from that or feel like I need to do something a little bit extra, that’s when we have different issues.

The big thing for me moving forward is making sure that when I throw it, I trust it. I remember watching a thing about Clayton Kershaw in an on-field interview. He was talking about tucking his curveball, gripping it really hard, and not having many thoughts on it because when he does that, it takes away from everything. And I was like, That’s a great point! I’ve been trying to work on that.

MMO: Throughout our chat, you’ve mentioned several big leaguers you’ve studied and taken bits and pieces from for your own game. Have you always been a student of the game?

Tong: I love telling the story about my dad and I watching videos of Tim Lincecum and my mom yelling downstairs because it was late on a school night. My dad instilled that in me. He’d be like, “Hey, come here,” and I’d be like, ‘Dad, I’m in the middle of an assignment.’ He’d say, “Come here, check this out: Greg Maddux.” He does everything for me. We watch it, understand it, pick his brain, and pick my brain. I think it slowly became something where he started to learn something and I did, which is kind of cool and beautiful now thinking about it.

When I was a kid, I didn’t think of it like that; I thought it was a waste of my time. But I started growing up and realizing the importance of it. I’m not the biggest guy on the field; I never have been and never will be. So being able to educate myself has been one of the biggest things in my career. Coming from Canada, we don’t play enough baseball just because of our climate compared to the American travel scene, so you kind of have to [be educated in the game].

Playing MLB The Show is a great example. It kind of teaches you more about the game and how you would pitch to people. I’ve always been a pretty good academic student, and studying is something I know, and I’m still improving with it. It’s funny; as you go up levels and start seeing different coaches, people, and styles, everything seems like one step, and everybody has their specialties. Getting a chance to be with A.J. [Sager] at the end of the year [with Binghamton] was pretty cool and something I was looking forward to in just learning from him and being more of a student of the game from that aspect.

MMO: You mentioned a few things that you’ve been working on with your slider and adding a two-seamer. Is there anything else you’re focusing on heading into 2025?

Tong: Just being present. I think that’s the thing I’ve been trying to focus on the most. It’s like, I’m here, soak it all up, be thankful every day, and thank God for the opportunities. That’s what I’m trying to focus on the most: realizing what we’re doing and how cool it is, and that’s what makes baseball fun. When we start thinking about it too much and putting more pressure on ourselves, that’s when we run into issues, and I did that all the time in ’23.

I’m going to continue the trend and focus on situation-based things. If we have a live BP, for instance, and my focus is working on early count curveballs. Yeah, it’s February. Did I do it all the time? No. But I got one of the six I tried, and that’s success. That’s a win. Everything is brick-by-brick, day-by-day because we’re not trying to be perfect in February.

The post MMO Exclusive: Pitching Prospect Jonah Tong appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Scott posted a 2.57 ERA in 87.2 innings pitched over three levels and was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Scott’s prospect status was elevated, particularly with his ability to induce swings and misses (16.8 SwStr%; tied for the sixth-highest mark) while limiting walks (3.6% walk rate; tied for third lowest).

Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the 2024 season, Scott was listed as the club’s best pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline (and the fifth-best prospect in the system), after not making the Top-30 list a year prior. Scott, selected in the fifth round in the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida, was an arm many evaluators thought would get a chance to make his major league debut this year.

After five April starts with Triple-A Syracuse, in which Scott struck out 36 batters while allowing only six walks over 25.1 innings pitched, the Florida native was promoted to the majors and debuted against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road on May 4 in front of dozens of family and friends.

Following three straight hits in the first inning to Yandy Díaz, Richie Palacios and Isaac Paredes, Scott worked out of trouble by striking out Randy Arozarena and getting Harold Ramírez to ground into an inning-ending double play. He allowed just one run on five hits with six strikeouts over 6.2 innings pitched in the Mets’ 3-1 loss. Scott became the first Met to toss at least 6.2 innings while allowing no more than one run in his major league debut since Jacob deGrom on May 15, 2014. His 18 swings and misses were tied with David Peterson (Sept. 15) and Tylor Megill (Sept. 30) for the most by a Mets pitcher in a road game in 2024.

Scott made nine major league starts in 2024, posting a 4.56 ERA over 47.1 innings. Scott’s best work came against right-handed hitters, as he limited them to a .236 weighted on-base average while posting a 0.83 walks plus hits per inning pitched and a 22 percent strikeout rate.

May 11, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott (45) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Following his July 21 start against the Miami Marlins on the road, Scott was placed on the IL as he was diagnosed with a right UCL sprain. The Mets were hopeful Scott would make a late-season return, going with a rest-and-rehab approach.

Unfortunately, Scott had difficulty making some of his pitches during his rehab, specifically his offspeed stuff. The 25-year-old underwent a hybrid elbow surgery in late September, combining traditional Tommy John surgery with a stabilizing internal brace for extra support.

Post-surgery, Scott has been rehabbing at the Mets complex in Port St. Lucie, along with the BARWIS Performance Center.

I had the privilege of interviewing Scott in late November, where we discussed adding pitches to his arsenal, the Mets’ pitching lab and his 2024 season.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players when you were younger?

Scott: My mom’s from the Northeast, so I watched a lot of Red Sox games growing up. I’d say Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester. I went to a couple of games in the 2004 and 2007 World Series. I got to see them win some games, which was a lot of fun.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start to primarily focus on pitching?

Scott: I started to really [focus on pitching] in high school, but I still hit a little bit. Going to college, I knew hitting wasn’t a possibility. Once they started throwing over 90 miles per hour, I was like, This whole hitting thing is not what they make it out to be. [Laughs.]

In college, I was a starting pitcher only. But in high school I started figuring out that I was trending in that direction.

MMO: Is it true that you played with Pedro Martínez’s son in high school? And if so, did you ever get any advice from him?

Scott: I actually played with Pedro Martínez’s son and Joe Girardi’s son, Dante. I got to talk to those guys a lot, which was really cool. I remember Pedro sitting in on one of my bullpens, and I asked him about his changeup grip. He has these really long fingers, and I tried his grip and threw the first one and sailed it. He was like, “Just stick with yours.”

Pedro is a really good guy. He would go to a lot of those games and sit down and talk with us. I’m really grateful for that as well.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2021 Major League Draft? Were the Mets on your radar?

Scott: Yeah, for sure. Before the Draft, you talk to some teams, and you get a game plan of where you could go. I knew the Mets were one of the teams that were interested. They reached out right around the fourth and fifth rounds, and took me. I talked to a lot of their staff beforehand, including the area scout (Jon Updike) about what they wanted to do.

I knew that when I got drafted, they were going to try me as a starter first. I’m grateful for that opportunity to be able to go out there and compete and be able to go long leverage innings.

MMO: You mentioned the Mets drafted you with the intention of having you start. What were those conversations early on? How was the transition going from the pen in college to the rotation professionally?

Scott: Our first conversation that we had, they told me they were going to try me as a starter. In college, I really only had two pitches: a two-seam fastball and a slider. Really early in my tenure with the Mets, they wanted to add pitches. In order to start, you need to be able to go through a lineup two, three, or four times; it’s not just one time through the lineup. Being able to have multiple weapons to put hitters away, I knew we needed to revamp my repertoire.

We banged my two-seam fastball for a four-seamer and then added a changeup that year. I added a sweeper this year as well. So just continuing to refine my repertoire and finding different ways to get both right- and left-handed hitters out. I’m very grateful for them being able to help me gain in my stuff, have confidence throwing the ball over the middle of the plate and not pitching around guys, especially not just wanting strikeouts but being able to be okay with contact.

MMO: What was the process like of adding those pitches to your arsenal?

Scott: We started with the four-seam fastball right away. The metrics were better on it, and it played better from my release angle and saw an approach angle to the plate. We knew that was the direction that I wanted to go. It was pretty easy because I threw one in high school. It was more about knowing where to locate it and throw it at the top of the zone and get above that. The location part was what we really worked on.

With the changeup, I struggled in college with a change. I never got a feel for one. I used multiple fingers on one and tried different grips with a circle change. We went to a split-change, just utilizing two fingers when I got here. I felt comfortable with that grip. It took a little bit to get used to, but it’s definitely been a huge piece for me to be able to keep hitters off balance. I’ve never really had that as a reliever, but being able to go through the lineup multiple times was important.

Last offseason, I added the sweeper. I was talking to Grayson Crawford, [Eric] Jagers, Kyle Rogers, guys like that who have been huge in my development. How to attack right-handed hitters and lefty hitters with a sweeper and build a movement profile that we want on it so that it’ll play as a fourth weapon.

MMO: Fans notice the player development hires, such as Kyle Rogers and Eric Jagers that you’ve mentioned. However, I believe many don’t grasp the extensive contributions they make across the organization. Could you share your experiences with both of them and how they’ve supported your growth?

Scott: Rogers, for example, has helped me so much with my delivery. I was looking at a side-by-side video the other day from college and pro ball, and just the night-and-day difference being able to repeat my delivery over and over again and being able to go long in games and hold velo. I’m super grateful, and he’s a really smart guy. He really helps a lot with pitch types, deliveries, sequencing and different things that we need.

Jagers has done an unbelievable job since taking over in so many facets of the game. Whether that’s going over an at-bat, reading the hitter, reading the swing, pitch types and deliveries. He’s a Swiss army knife. Having him in the organization is great.

These guys are great at what they do, and we’re grateful for them.

Eric Jagers, Vice-President of Pitching for the New York Mets Source: The Enquirer

MMO: Can you talk a bit about the Mets’ pitching lab at Clover Park? What were some of the benefits you found from going there?

Scott: Yeah, I’ve been there a couple of times. There are things you can see on video, and there are things you may not be able to see. You can take a side angle of your delivery and see what’s going on. You’re able to really slow it down and use the high-speed cameras and the stuff we have to be able to slow down the delivery and see where you’re applying force. Maybe your force isn’t as strong in your core, or you’re able to rotate faster. Maybe you’re a rotational athlete or a linear athlete. You’re able to really find your strengths and weaknesses in your delivery that way and be able to capitalize on your strengths and maybe raise the floor on some of your weaknesses.

Being able to slow it down and take it inch by inch rather than being one still frame in your delivery. Find bits and pieces to tinker with and see what you need help with, whether it’s going on the ball of your foot when you’re driving down the mound or sitting on the heel. Little things like that to really slow it down.

MMO: Before beginning your professional career, were you familiar with the data and technology in the game?

Scott: I wasn’t too familiar with it. We went over it a little bit in college, some of the Trackman numbers and things like that. But I was never too familiar with it. I just got the ball and went out there and ripped it, and hopefully I got some swings and misses.

I didn’t have a whole lot of numbers to put my stuff behind. It’s hard to get a hold of that and be able to understand just how to pitch; to be able to go up and down and east to west. I think that is what has really helped me and my confidence in going on to compete at a high level every time I get the ball.

MMO: Command is one of your calling cards, and you do a terrific job of limiting walks. Was that something you were adept at early on, or did that develop throughout your tenure professionally?

Scott: I feel like I’ve always had a feel for throwing strikes. In college, if you walked two guys, you’re getting taken out of the game right away. You’re immediately of the mindset to throw strikes and make them beat you.

Being a starter, when you go multiple times through an order, you want to have the hitters not see as many of your pitches as you have. Let’s say you face a right-handed hitter three times, and he sees six or seven sweepers from you, then he’s going to be on time for one of those sweepers and be able to hit that. Same thing with the fastball.

The quicker that you’re able to get outs and turn the lineup over, I feel like it gives us the most success as a team to get a win. I’d rather you get a hit off me than walk somebody because it’s deeper in counts and deeper in games, and it’s not being efficient. It’s just about having confidence in zone and trust my stuff.

MMO: What are your memories from your major league debut on May 4, 2024?

Christian Scott. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Scott: It was really cool to have my family there and go out to do what I love to do and compete. It was really cool to have a bunch of family and friends there, and I got to have dinner with them after. But in the meantime, you’re focused on getting the win.

I felt like I was really on point with my stuff, especially towards the end of the game. I really fell in a groove, especially with the sweeper. Just being able to repeat that and continue to keep the fastball up in the zone and keep them off balance enough with the changeup. I had fun, and it was a blast, especially having my family and friends in attendance.

MMO: Speaking of your sweeper, I’m curious how pitchers go about getting a good feel on a new pitch. What did you incorporate regarding feedback and data for your sweeper?

Scott: You can look at the numbers on it and also just the way the hitters react to it or the way your catch partner reacts to it. You can kind of see if it’s staying on plane or if it’s diving like more of a slurve. You have the feedback of people you’re playing catch with and also able to see the numbers on Trackman. Just staying consistent with it.

If you have a release point or a cue that works for you for that time, try to repeat that and continue to stack good stones each time that you’re trying to develop a new pitch. Be able to take little achievements and eventually be able to locate that in the zone and then go away with it when you want. Just throwing it over time a bunch and also getting good feedback from it helped me out a lot.

MMO: You made nine starts with the Syracuse Mets in 2024. What were your thoughts on the automated ball-strike system for both the full ABS and the challenge system?

Scott: Honestly, I like the challenge system a little bit better. It adds another asset to the game, kind of like a strategic point to the game where you don’t want to use your challenges too early, but there are times when they’re necessary. If you have a 3-2 count and a couple of guys on, and a call doesn’t go your way, maybe you challenge that. It’s another facet for fans to enjoy where they show it on the scoreboard if it’s a strike or ball. You see how the game is played by inches, and less than an inch could be a ball or a strike. I think it gives a cool aspect to the game.

In terms of throwing to ABS, you don’t really notice it a whole lot. At least you know for sure if it was a strike or ball. You’re not getting any balls away and you’re not getting any balls in. You know you have to be in the strike zone. That was really the only adjustment; maybe you get half a ball off. When you’re throwing in ABS games, you’re going to pound the middle of the strike zone and try to get them to chase late. That’s the game plan most people have.

MMO: What were your impressions of Carlos Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner while you were up with the Mets?

Scott: I think they did an unbelievable job, just being able to stay even-keel the whole time. We had a lot of ups-and-downs during the season, but they are two rocks in our system. We’d go out and have fun but we’re also going to compete. We’re going to try and win every game we go out there and play.

I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Mendy and Hef. They’ve done an unbelievable job to help me and help me adjust. I’m super grateful to both of those guys.

MMO: You were shut down in July with a UCL sprain. Early on, there were hopes you could return later in the season. At what point did you and the team decide that having Tommy John surgery was the best course of action?

Scott: I don’t remember the exact date. I threw a couple of bullpens and was starting to raise the floors on some of the velocities. And I just didn’t feel right, especially with the offspeed pitches. I couldn’t get over that hump, and we tried a couple of different things, a couple of different changes. At the end of the day, it was probably the best option for me. I’m trying to stay positive about it.

MMO: You underwent a hybrid elbow surgery, combining Tommy John with a stabilizing internal brace. What are the benefits of adding that internal brace?

Scott: That’s correct. I went with Tommy John with the brace. There’s more support, especially early on in the process, and it just adds another layer of protection. I got a couple of recommendations from guys who’ve been there and had them and had a lot of success.

As a family, as a team and as an organization, we felt like it was the best decision, and I felt good about it. I had a lot of positive recommendations, and Dr. Keith [Meister] (who performed Scott’s surgery) is a great guy.

MMO: How has the rehab been going?

Scott: It’s going great. I’m going home in December for two weeks, but it’s been going great so far. A lot of the staff here is awesome. I know a lot of the guys down here, like Nathan Lavender. We’re hanging out and being positive about it and taking it day by day. We’re also challenging each other and pushing each other to be the best we possibly can be.

It’s been a good time going out there and trying to be positive every day. Continuing to put one foot in front of the other.

MMO: And you’re expecting to return for the 2026 season?

Scott: Yeah, I would assume so.

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