The inaugural Spring Breakout event was a huge hit with fans and players alike on Friday at Clover Park. The Mets won the game 4-2 behind high-octane pitching and run-scoring hits from two players acquired at the trade deadline last year.

Dom Hamel got the start on the mound for the Mets, and he showed off an exciting repertoire of pitches. He allowed one run in two innings and struck out two. His fastball was up to 97 mph, and the average spin rate on the pitch was 2386 rpms. He also mixed in a sweeper, curveball (vertical break up to 66 inches), changeup, and a cutter.

Dom Hamel, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The 25-year-old said he “absolutely” expects to pitch in the majors at some point this season.

“I feel confident where I’m at, and I feel like I belong, and I know I can get outs at any point in the game,” Hamel said.

Tyler Stuart, coming off a season in which he posted the second-best ERA in minor league baseball at 2.20, impressed during his inning and showed improved velocity. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning on three ground balls. His fastball topped out at 97 mph with inches of vertical break.

Fellow right-hander Blade Tidwell was the only Mets pitcher to struggle in the game, allowing one run on three hits in his one inning of work. His fastball did top out at 98 mph, and mixed in a slider, curve, and changeup.

Tidwell, like Stuart and Hamel, finished the 2023 season in the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies during their run to the Eastern League championship.

Next up for the Mets was one of the most intriguing players in their entire farm system, two-way player Nolan McLean, and he didn’t disappoint. The right-hander pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. His fastball was up to 98 mph, but the big-time pitch was his slider. His slider was 88-91 mph while averaging a ridiculous 3229 rpms. For reference, Lucas Sims led the big leagues last year, averaging 3002 rpms on his slider.

McLean, a 2023 draft pick, told reporters after the game that the Mets are going to stretch him out as a starter this year after having been exclusively a reliever in his college career. He will also continue to be a two-way player in 2024.

“If I could ever meet Shohei Ohtani, I would like to pick his brain a little bit to see what his day-to-day is like and how he manages his body,” McLean said.

McLean was followed by another hard-throwing 2023 draft pick, Brandon Sproat. The 23-year-old was technically making his pro debut on Thursday, having not pitched in the minors last year. He needed only six pitches to get through a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. His fastball was up to 99 mph, and he threw one curveball and two cutters at 89 mph.

Calvin Ziegler was the final pitcher for the Mets on Thursday. The 21-year-old pitched only one inning last season because of injury but has been impressive in minor league this spring. He continued his sharp spring with a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to get the save for the Mets.

Ziegler was up to 97 mph with his fastball (spin rate up to 2500 rpms), 91 mph with his slider, and mixed in three curveballs.

The offense was led by Ryan Clifford and Jeremy Rodriguez, two players the Mets acquired at the deadline last year. Clifford (Justin Verlander trade) knocked in Drew Gilbert (Justin Verlander trade) with an opposite-field double at 102.2 mph to give the Mets a 1-0 first-inning lead.

Catcher Kevin Parada tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning with an RBI single through the right side. We talked to Parada exclusively after the game and will have that convo in a separate article.

Jeremy Rodriguez, Photo by Ed Delany of Metmerized

Then in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Mets got an RBI single by Rodriguez (Tommy Pham trade) that scored Marco Vargas (David Robertson trade) to take a 3-2 lead. Catcher Vincent Perozo followed with an RBI single of his own.

Vargas also walked twice in the game and had the farthest-hit ball at 379 feet. Clifford had the other walk for the Mets in the game, reaching base in each of his plate appearances. The hardest-hit ball of the game came from starting third baseman Jesus Baez at 111.9 mph. Baez struggled in the FCL last year in terms of results (.640 OPS), though he did post some of the best exit velocity numbers in the entire Mets minor leagues.

Following the game, the festivities continued. Players from each team lined up to sign autographs for half an hour for fans who had started making a line hours before. Former college teammates Gilbert (Mets) and Trey Lipscomb (Nationals) swapped jerseys after the game.

Make sure you check out the Binghamton Rumble Ponies’ social media page. They did a great job over the last couple of days with content from Port St. Lucie, including tons of interviews with top prospects.

One thing is for sure: MLB hit a grand slam with the Spring Breakout idea, and fans are hoping it becomes an annual event.