Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Denyi Reyes is another right-handed reliever trying to make it to Queens with the Mets this spring. Reyes was signed with the Red Sox in 2015 but reached the majors in that organization. He was then signed by the Orioles before the 2022 season and made his major-league debut in May of last year, tossing 7 2/3 innings with a 2.35 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 1.174 WHIP and a 179 ERA+ in three appearances.
Reyes’ stats in the minors don’t tell the full story of his effectiveness. He had a lousy 7.17 ERA over 15 games (10 starts) and 54 innings of work with 1.519 WHIP. However, his walk rate was a paltry 3.3%. That coupled with the success he had in his brief stint in the majors last year gives hope that there is something there.
Denyi Reyes has four pitches. He leans on his fastball the most (average 93 mph) and mixes in a low-80’s sliders, a mid-80’s changeup and a mid-70’s curveball. Over his three games in the majors last year, his fastball velocity was in the 39th percentile, while his spin was in the 21st percentile and extension in the 94th percentile.
Over his career in the minor leagues (seven seasons), Reyes has posted a 3.29 ERA and 1.088 WHIP in almost 600 innings of work. At the very least, he should be better pitching in Syracuse than he was in Norfolk last season.
Due to his ability to pitch both in relief and start games, there’s a good chance we’ll see Reyes at some point this season if he gets onto the Mets 40-man roster. The Mets are still rebuilding their minor league spot starting options for when they need a turn in the rotation. While this season’s major-league club is built differently, we’ve seen the Mets go from full rotations to rotations with only one or two healthy pitchers the last two seasons. It’s always good to have depth, which is what Denyi Reyes brings to the table.
