The New York Mets would not be where they are without their standout bullpen. As a group, they own a 2.09 ERA through 19 games, the third-best mark in all of baseball.
One of the key arms that’s factored into the unit’s early success has been A.J. Minter. After a rocky appearance against the Miami Marlins on April 2, the left-hander has been razor sharp with seven-straight scoreless outings.
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Over his last 6 2/3 innings, opponents have only been able to get three hits off Minter. In addition to that, he has allowed no walks and struck out 10 during that stretch. That’s exactly what you want from a setup man.
When diving into the numbers, it’s clear that the cutter has proven to be his best pitch so far. Opponents have yet to get a hit against the pitch, owning a .139 expected batting average when facing it.
With his cutter causing many problems for hitters, Minter has drastically increased his usage of that pitch. Last season, he used his cutter 34.5 percent of the time with the Atlanta Braves. In comparison, Minter has thrown that pitch 45 percent of the time early in 2025.
“My cutter’s really good right now. I do have to be careful, because I do tend to get cutter-happy and not trust my fastball. Even though my velocity is still down from what it could be, doesn’t mean I need to be scared throwing my fastball,” Minter said to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
After undergoing hip surgery last season, some may have wondered if it would take some time for Minter to find his feet. That has not proven to be an issue for him. The early returns suggest that David Stearns had the right idea signing a high-leverage arm that Mets fans are quite familiar with. Entering the season, the bullpen was seen as a strength. With guys like Huascar Brazobán and Max Kranick thriving too, the depth in that area looks really strong. That’s a great sign for the Mets a few weeks in.
