The Mets lost two out of three to Houston for their third straight series loss. As a result, they have now lost four of five and seven of their last 11.

Still, it is hardly about wins and losses at this point. There were some positives to take from the three games against Houston.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the Astros series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

3 UP

RETURN OF THE KING

Juan Soto was activated from the IL over the weekend, and he made his presence immediately felt. The superstar recorded an RBI single in his first game back on Saturday. He followed that up with a solo home run on Sunday. In all, Soto finished with two runs scored and two RBIs over his first two games back. Even with nothing to play for, Soto’s return to the lineup ensures that games are still worth watching.

DOING THEIR JOBS

Both Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton stepped up to the plate in their respective starts in this series. McLean was stellar on Saturday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. That marked McLean’s fourth straight quality start. Meanwhile, Thornton also did his part, providing five solid innings with two runs and five strikeouts on Sunday. With the end of the season nearing, McLean and Thornton keep providing hope for the future.

YOUNG AND FREE

Okay, yes, Jared Young committed an error on Sunday that led to two runs scored. That wasn’t great, although the Mets’ offensive struggles was the biggest reason for the loss. In any case, Young deserves to be in this category for his exploits on Saturday. The infielder recorded his first career three-RBI performance to go along with a three-hit day. Young proved to be the heart of the offense in the Mets’ only win of the series. Furthermore, he continues to show he can be a full-time contributor for this team.

Christian Scott by Berto Carlo

3 DOWN

MELTING DOWN

The bullpen was not great in this series. Nate Lavender allowed three inherited runs to score in the loss on Friday. Daniel Duarte gave up a home run in his outing on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Jonathan Pintaro and Jefry Yan combined to allow four runs across just two innings. It is probably fair to expect some down days from the bullpen this late in the season.

GETTING TIRED?

Christian Scott may benefit from some extra rest down the stretch. The young starter is nearing the end of his first season post-Tommy John surgery, and it is possible that fatigue may be settling in. Scott held the Astros to just one run through the first five innings of Friday’s game, but walked three straight in the sixth to load the bases. That led to the deciding runs being scored. Scott just lost the zone, and he’s faded late in games before. This could be a situation worth keeping an eye on.

CONTINUED STRUGGLES

A.J. Ewing‘s slump at the plate continues. He went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts in the first two games of the series. Now,Ewing did finish strong with a walk, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base in the series finale. Still, he’s hitting just .152/.204/.378/.174/.378 over his last 12 games. Hopefully, Ewing can use his performance on Sunday to get the trainback on the tracks offensively.

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The Mets (58-71) led 4-0 through five innings and Sean Manaea was rolling, but Chicago (67-61) got to him in the sixth. He coughed up back-to-back-to-back homers to Miguel Vargas (two-run shot), Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery that knotted the game at 4.

Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte combined to throw two scoreless innings and keep the game tied before Yan entered to start the ninth. He walked the leadoff man and after a sacrifice bunt and a Luisangel Acuña groundout, Rogers delivered the knockout.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Manaea allowed four earned runs on five hits over six innings, walked two and struck out four. He has pitched at least six innings in six consecutive starts and his season ERA is 4.31.

Marcus Semien‘s two-out RBI single opened the scoring in the second. In the fourth, Luis Robert Jr. caught a break when center fielder Brenton Doyle lost sight of a routine fly ball and it fell in for a double. That brought up Brett Baty with runners on second and third and he came through with a two-run double. Bo Bichette‘s solo homer (13) made it 4-0 in the fifth.

Stats of the Game

The Mets’ bullpen entered Friday with a 2.68 ERA since the trade deadline, second-best in baseball. The last Met to give up three straight homers was Max Scherzer on April 4, 2023, in Milwaukee. The White Sox entered Friday leading the American League in runs (605). The top seven in runs scored are all in the National League. The Mets rank No. 23.

Player of the Game

Middle relievers tend to go unnoticed so let’s give it to Lavender. Four outs, two by strikeout, in a tie game. The 26-year-old rookie hasn’t allowed a run in eight appearances.

On Deck

Christian Scott (4-3, 3.51 ERA) has struck out 105 in 84 2/3 innings over 18 starts. He faces RHP Luis Castillo, (4-9, 4.99 ERA), who will make his fourth start for Chicago since being acquired from the Mariners at the trade deadline. The game is at 7:10 p.m. ET on SNY.

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Ahead of the 2024 season, Lavender looked like a candidate to make the major league roster, but his progress came to a screeching halt when he needed to undergo internal brace surgery for his elbow that spring. The Rays selected him from the Mets in the Rule 5 Draft after the season, but he missed the entire 2025 season recovering from the surgery, and the Rays returned him to New York in the offseason. After a solid showing with Triple-A Syracuse, Lavender was called up to make his big-league debut, and he has flourished in the new-look Mets bullpen.

Lavender entered Wednesday’s game against the Padres in relief of Jonathan Pintaro with none out and the tying run on second base in the sixth inning. The southpaw made quick work of Jackson Merrill, striking him out on three pitches. He then dispatched Luis Rengifo on four pitches, throwing him nothing but fastballs. Lavender finished off the inning by getting Luis Campusano to ground out to Francisco Lindor, stranding the tying run in scoring position. The 26-year-old earned his first major league win as the Mets held on for a 4-2 victory.

Across his seven major league appearances, Lavender has thrown 6 1/3 scoreless innings and racked up eight strikeouts while allowing just one hit and two walks. He still doesn’t throw particularly hard, with his fastball averaging 92.7 mph, but he uses it for over 60 percent of his pitches and has recorded a 44% whiff rate thanks to his 7.1 feet of extension. Lavender has excelled at limiting hard contact, giving up a hard-hit rate of just 36.4%. With the way he’s pitching, Lavender is playing himself into the Mets’ future plans, just like the team expected him to back in 2024.

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Things didn’t start well for the Mets’ offense. However, they woke up later in the game thanks to home runs from Francisco Lindor and Jared Young. Robert Stock got the start, but the Mets’ young bullpen was the story on the pitching side. Jonathan Pintaro would notch his first big league win. The Mets are now 54-69 on the season.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mets Offense Comes Alive Late

The Mets’ offense was left with just one hit through the first five innings of this game against Andrew Alvarez. The one hit was by Luis Torrens in the third inning. The only other baserunner was courtesy of a Francisco Alvarez walk. The Mets were down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, until Lindor, making up for an error in the top of the third inning, launched a home run to tie the game.

After Bo Bichette reached base on a wild pitch, Jake Bird came in to replace Alvarez, and the Mets’ offense took advantage of a struggling Nationals bullpen. Luis Robert Jr. and Carson Benge notched back-to-back singles, with Benge’s hit scoring Bichette to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Young hit his eighth homer of the year to extend the Mets’ lead to 3-1. Bichette drove in another run later in the inning off former Met Max Kranick that scored Torrens.

After being shut out with just one hit in the first five innings, the Mets’ offense got six hits, including two home runs, and four runs the rest of the way.

Mets Bullpen Excels Again

After the Mets traded most of their bullpen at the deadline, a lot of unknowns and guys looking for a chance took over. On Friday, they held up well against a strong Nationals offense. Stock started the game and went 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Stock walked CJ Abrams and later hit Brady House in the bottom of the fifth inning before Nate Lavender came into the game. Lavender got two fly outs to get out of the jam and kept the Mets at a one-run deficit.

Pintaro threw two shutout innings and logged two strikeouts en route to what would be his first major league win. Daniel Duarte continued his strong season with a scoreless eighth. That set the stage for Kodai Senga in the ninth inning. Senga, looking for his second career save, got the first two outs fairly easily before getting into his first jam as a closer. With two outs, he allowed a single to Jacob Young and a hit-by-pitch to Abrams that brought Abimelec Ortiz to the plate as the tying run. On a 2-2 count, Senga trusted his forkball and got Ortiz to go down swinging in order to seal the win. 

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

With Juan Soto on the injured list, Lindor has stepped up as of late. His game-tying home run started the Mets’ rally on Friday. 

On Deck

On Saturday, the Mets will start Sean Manaea. The Nationals have yet to name a starter. The game will start at 4:10pm EST and be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880AM.

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In somewhat of a surprising development, the new-look Mets went into Cleveland and swept the playoff-chasing Guardians. Not only that, but the post-Trade Deadline version of this team was incredibly fun to watch.

Granted, this is still a lost season given the wins and losses don’t really matter at this point. With that said, there now appear to be multiple reasons to stay invested in this team the rest of the way.

On that note, let’s dive into the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Photo Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

3 UP

NEW-LOOK BULLPEN

Hands up if you were expecting the bullpen to be a mess in the wake of the Trade Deadline? Me too. Well, it is a very small sample size, but maybe we will be proved wrong. The new-look bullpen was electric in Cleveland, combining to allow just one earned run all series. That’s impressive, especially considering the low expectations going in. Those efforts were led by Nate Lavender, who didn’t allow a run across his first two career MLB outings, striking out three. Jefry Yan also made his MLB debut, wowing with both his electric stuff and his trademark post-strikeout celebrations. Kodai Senga impressed too in a closer role on Tuesday. All in all, while we need to see a lot more, this revamped bullpen could carry a lot of promise for next year and beyond.

OFFENSE FIRING

The Mets got big-time contributions from up and down the lineup throughout the series in Cleveland. Bo Bichette had a big series, finishing with five hits and three RBIs. That included driving in the winning run in extra innings during Wednesday’s game. Francisco Lindor came up with a clutch three-run bomb to stretch a one-run lead into a big 9-5 lead in the seventh inning of the series finale. Both Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty hit home runs. Marcus Semien hit a double and a homer in the final game. Luis Torrens enjoyed a monster series, including going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the opener. And A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge were also both highly productive. It has been rare that we’ve seen everything click for this offense as it did in Cleveland.

NOTHING TO LOSE

With the season over, and the Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, it was obvious to see that the shackles had been removed from the Mets. Just like that, they were playing loosey-goosey and without any pressure. As a result, we saw three well-rounded wins from this team. The offense flowed. The new-look bullpen took full advantage of the opportunity. And the entire team just played with so much joy. We haven’t seen that a whole lot in 2026. The rookies, namely Benge and Ewing, continued to impact the game in a multitude of ways. The season may be over in terms of achieving anything, but this current incarnation of the Mets could be a lot of fun to watch if they keep playing as they did against the Guardians.

 John Jones-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

SHAKY START

Nolan McLean‘s latest start was not his strongest. The potential future ace of this staff struggled in the series finale, allowing five earned runs on eight hits with three walks over five innings. McLean did strike out eight, and the Mets did secure the sweep, but the outing was a step back for the rookie. The eight hits allowed tied a career-high, although McLean did record his 213th career strikeout. That’s the fifth most in franchise history in a pitcher’s first 31 starts. Overall, McLean will look to rebound once again.

SIZZLING OUT

McLean wasn’t the only Mets starter to struggle in this series. Christian Scott started out strong on Wednesday, but faded fast and hard. Scott ended up blowing a 3-0 lead, allowing three earned runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings. Thankfully, the offense and the bullpen bailed Scott out. However, given that we’re now in the dog days of summer, Scott should be going deeper into games, and that remains a concern.

INCONSISTENCIES 

The general consensus seemed to be in favor of the Mets holding onto Francisco Alvarez at the deadline. The talent has always been there, after all. However, as has always been the case with the catcher, inconsistency continues to be the main problem. We saw that in Cleveland. Alvarez recorded just two hits in the series, while striking out a total of six times. Consequently, he’s now hitting just .167/.318/.278/.596 with eight strikeouts and just two extra-base hits over his last five games. As the Mets try to figure out their core for the 2027 season, Alvarez must find a way to be less streaky if he wants to be a big-time contributor.

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He struck him out looking at a 92 mph fastball. He threw a scoreless eighth inning, too.

“I think what really energizes a group of guys is having a guy make a debut, come in and get a huge out in a tough situation against a very good hitter,” Andy Green said. “And then go back out there and throw really well the next inning. I thought the dugout was as alive in that Nate Lavender punch-out as it’s been in some time. And I think that really just hopefully is a catalyst for us to bring some energy with these new guys we got here.”

The Mets (48-66) won 6-2 at Progressive Field in front of 24,636, which included a cheering section of Lavender’s family and friends, some of whom arrived at 5 a.m. via train from Syracuse because there were no direct flights between the cities.

“You have to enjoy the small moments,” Lavender said.

The Mets drafted Lavender in the 14th round in 2021 from the University of Illinois. He performed well at each minor-league stop, but in May 2024 he injured his left elbow, needed internal brace surgery and the Mets left him unprotected that offseason in the Rule 5 draft. The Rays picked him up, but a setback required another elbow surgery and he missed all of 2025. The Rays designated him for assignment, he cleared waivers and was returned to the Mets.

“All that doesn’t matter, it’s part of the journey and (the debut) feels absolutely unbelievable,” Lavender said.

The 26-year-old pitched to a 3.27 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 70 and walking 16 in 43 innings for Triple-A Syracuse this season.

“It’s awesome,” winning pitcher Sean Manaea (3-5) said of Lavender’s winding path to the big leagues. “You kind of pay attention, you know what Lav’s been through. He had to … scratch and claw and get his way here and then to have an outing like that is so cool. To be able to witness that as a human being, it’s awesome. You love to hear stories like that. He’s a great dude and just super happy that he had an outing like tonight. It’s a culmination of all the hard work he’s put in.”

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As the weather heated up, so did the bats. Well, for the most part. Don’t look at Ryan Clifford‘s June numbers.

TRIPLE-A: SYRACUSE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: NICK MORABITO

Statistics: 24 G, slash, 3 HR, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 11 BB, 25 SO, 11 SB (0 CS)

Yonny Hernández finished with a better slash line, but I’m still going to give the nod to Nick Morabito here because of what his recent developments could mean for the post-trade-deadline New York Mets. In 70 Triple-A games, Morabito has 22 extra-base hits. Nine of those have come in 24 games in June. He also homered on the final day of May, which would have further shown his power uptick if the calendar had just lined up a little bit differently. Morabito is never going to be a big power threat, but it’s encouraging to see him hitting the ball with authority. If the Mets make a move at the deadline, like sending Tyrone Taylor to a team that could use a fourth outfielder, Morabito could come up to fill that spot.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: NATE LAVENDER

Last week, I wrote about how Nate Lavender‘s MLB debut might finally be around the corner. Since then, he’s thrown four more scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only three baserunners. After leaving the organization for a year as a casualty of the Rule 5 Draft, he has been returned to the Mets from the Rays and is looking like the exciting lefty reliever Mets fans were ready for a few years ago. Xzavion Curry deserves a shoutout here for a very strong month, but 19 strikeouts in 27 innings just isn’t enough to beat out what Lavender did from the pen.

Nick Lorusso. Photo credit: Rick Nelson

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: JONATHAN SANTUCCI

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 22.0 IP, 16 H, 8 R (7 ER), 25 SO, 13 BB, 2.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Jonathan Santucci might be the best pitching prospect in the Mets’ system. He has a nasty slider, a great fastball and two developing pitches in a curveball and a changeup that both look promising. His June was great, and in a year where it seems like a lot of the Mets’ top pitching prospects have struggled and taken steps back, Santucci has maintained. He did leave his last start of the month on June 30 after two hitless innings, but there was a long rain delay, so that’s more than likely the reason.

JT Benson. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

HIGH-A: BROOKLYN CYCLONES

HITTER OF THE MONTH: JT BENSON

Statistics: 19 G, .288/.405/.652/1.057, 5 HR, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 20 SO

June was a big rebound month for a lot of Cyclone hitters, including Mitch Voit, Corey Collins, Daiverson Gutierrez and Ronald Hernandez, but it’s JT Benson who takes the top spot. Benson isn’t really a bounce back; he hit well enough in May. But he was clearly the best of the bunch. For a college bat signed after two seasons in indy ball, Benson’s breakout is the kind of one that’s always fun to see. He’s a good athlete in the outfield, and he’s old enough that even though he’s still relatively new to High-A, the Mets could push him quickly to Double-A, too.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: DAVIEL HURTADO

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 26.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R (6 ER), 26 SO, 4 BB, 2.03 ERA, 0.56 WHIP

Daviel Hurtado is in the middle of a full-fledged breakout. Promoted to Brooklyn at the end of May, he has been nails. June was a work of art. On June 30, to close his month, Hurtado went six full innings scoreless, allowing just one hit and one walk while punching out eight. It was his second-straight start where he went six full innings, too. A 21-year-old lefty who throws in the mid-90s and could have even more in the tank, Hurtado should be on everyone’s radar.

SINGLE-A: ST. LUCIE METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: YOHAIRO CUEVAS

Statistics: 13 G, .326/.456/.630/1.086, 2 HR, 8 2B, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 9 SO

It was a tough month for St. Lucie hitters. Elian Peña struggled, Antonio Jimenez struggled, Randy Guzman got hurt and no one else really separated themselves. So, it goes to Yohairo Cuevas, who started the year in Brooklyn but was sent down to St. Lucie after a really rough start. His sample size is a little smaller than others because he was sent back to Brooklyn on June 18. An outfielder with a strong arm, Cuevas tore up St. Lucie while he was there, and his next task will be figuring out High-A.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CAM TILLY

Statistics: 4 G (4 GS), 18 IP, 10 H, 3 R (2 ER), 15 SO, 5 BB, 1.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP

Where St. Lucie bats struggled, St. Lucie pitchers excelled. Emilio Obispo, Joel Lara and Zack Mack all deserve recognition, but Cam Tilly was the best. He threw 6 and 1/3 no-hit innings on June 9 to start a combined no-hitter. That might have gotten him player of the month honors alone, but then he gave up just two more earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings before and after in the month. It’s a big bounce-back month for the 22-year-old who entered the year as a popular under-the-radar arm to pop, but just hasn’t so far.

FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE: FCL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: VLADI GOMEZ

Statistics: 19 G, .377/.443/.472/.915, 1 HR, 2 2B, 7 RBI,5  BB, 8 SO, 11 SB (3 CS)

It was tight between Vladi Gomez and Bohan Adderley as the two had nearly identical numbers, but Gomez’s low strikeout numbers gave him the edge. The 20-year-old has played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field this season, and has a lot of experience in center as well. With the way St. Lucie’s bats hit in June, Gomez should get a look back at Single-A. He’s had two short stints there so far this year and hit well in six games. Time to make the move permanent.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: CALVIN ZIEGLER

Statistics: 3 G (2 GS), 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 3 SO, 2 BB, 3.86 ERA, 2.14 WHIP

It’s pretty slim pickings here for FCL Mets pitchers, so we’ll go with a different angle. Calvin Ziegler made his return to the mound for the first time since April of 2024, over two full years ago. At one time a big name in the Mets’ farm system, Ziegler has been plagued by injuries throughout his minor league career. When healthy, the strikeout numbers have been tantalizing, but he really hasn’t been fully healthy since 2022. From 2023 through now, he has 9 and 1/3 total innings. All that matters right now, though, is he’s back, and it’s great to see.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE: DSL METS

HITTER OF THE MONTH: CLEINER RAMIREZ

Statistics: 20 G, .316/.388/.618/1.006, 5 HR, 8 2B, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 10 SO, 6 SB (1 CS)

Cleiner Ramirez received the second-largest signing bonus in the Mets’ most recent IFA class, and he’s showing why so far. He’s only 5-foot-9, but he packs a punch, with his 13 extra-base hits leading all Mets in the DSL. He’s played both up-the-middle infield positions and center field so far through his first 20 professional games, and has just overall looked really, really impressive. The Mets might have something here.

PITCHER OF THE MONTH: RANDY GUZMAN

Statistics: 4 G (1 GS), 13.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R (0 ER), 17 SO, 3 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

It’s always really, really tough to evaluate pitchers in the Dominican Summer League, but it gets easier when a guy doesn’t give up a run. Or, at least, an earned run. The strikeout rate is great, the walk rate is great, and really, everything Randy Guzman showed in the first month of his season has been great. And yes, this is a different Randy Guzman from the Single-A power hitter. Can’t wait to have fun dealing with that for the next few years, at least.

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Nate Lavender, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Then, seven games into his 2024 season at Triple-A, he tore his UCL. Lavender underwent the internal brace procedure on his elbow and missed the rest of the season. The Mets didn’t add Lavender, who was still recovering from elbow surgery, to the 40-man roster ahead of 2025. The Tampa Bay Rays pounced, taking Lavender in the Rule 5 Draft. The Mets’ best chance at a homegrown lefty reliever was gone.

Lavender suffered a setback with the Rays and needed another surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. He never pitched for the Rays, and after the season, he was returned to the Mets, this time with much less hype around him.

Finally healthy, he slowly worked his way through Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn through the first month of the season, easing his way into his first game action since early 2024. He rejoined Triple-A Syracuse on May 9, and since then, he has looked great.

Don’t let the ERA—4.41 at Triple-A and 4.78 overall—fool you. Lavender has been excellent.

Nate Lavender in 2026. Image courtesy of Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

ERA, especially in the minor leagues, can be deceiving. Minor league defenses can be ugly, and minor league ballparks themselves are weird. There are many other stats you can look at instead, and one of the best, and arguably the simplest, is K-BB%. Strikeout minus walk ratio is very important, and Lavender is killing it. He’s striking out a staggering 42% of batters in Triple-A, and walking 8.7%. That’s a 33.3% K-BB% at Triple-A, a Top 5 mark across all pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched at the level. It’s the best in the Mets organization among pitchers at any level.

Lavender doesn’t throw hard, but the stuff is good. He’s a funky lefty, and guys like him consistently get away with not throwing hard. He throws strikes, gets a ton of swing and miss, and keeps the ball on the ground at a rate well above average. The ingredients are there.

The Mets currently have two lefties in the bullpen with Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, but there’s still plenty of room for Lavender. (Realistically, you can see a world where he sticks if the Mets decide to sell at the deadline and send Raley and Minter to contenders.) There’s no rule against three lefties, and if anything, it’s probably a good thing. At the very least, Lavender should join Jonathan Pintaro, Daniel Duarte and others in the group of relievers who ride the express from Syracuse to Queens and back throughout the year.

It’s time for the once highly anticipated MLB debut of Nate Lavender.

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Lavender had back-to-back dominant seasons in the minor leagues for the Mets in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Lavender had a 1.70 ERA, 1.217 WHIP with a 12.7 K/9 over 47 2/3 innings between St. Lucie and Brooklyn. In 2023, he had a 2.98 ERA, 1.196 WHIP with a 14.2 K/9 over 54 1/3 innings between Binghamton and Syracuse.

Nate Lavender Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Lavender’s strong 2023 across Double-A and Triple-A finally landed him on MLB.com Pipeline’s Top 30 Mets prospects (#24) heading into the 2024 season. His 2024 scouting report touted his reverse splits, and his three-quarter slot. He would use his low-90’s fastball to set up his high-70’s changeup. He seemed destined to make his major league debut at some point during the 2024 season. The Mets were starved for left-handed relief in 2024, a season where Danny Young and Jake Diekman led lefty relief innings pitched.

Unfortunately, Nate Lavender required internal brace surgery in May 2024, sidelining him for the rest of the season. At the time, it was assumed he would return at some point during the 2025 season. The Mets left him unprotected in the December 2024 Rule V draft and the Rays picked him up. They liked what they saw from Lavender over the last few seasons enough to hold onto him through the rest of his recovery time. Lavender wasn’t able to move forward in his rehab in 2025 and didn’t pitch in any minor league games last season.

Because Nate Lavender was injured the entire season in 2025, he actually kept his Rule V status. The Rays DFA’d him, he cleared waivers, and was returned to the Mets in November. The Mets left him unprotected again, but this time he was able to slip through without getting selected.

The path forward for Lavender is uncertain. He’s lost more than a season and a half of playing time. There are things that are still the same though. The Mets lefty relief situation still leaves a lot to be desired. Brooks Raley is back after the Mets exercised his club option at the end of 2025. It is unclear right now if A.J. Minter will be able to start the season healthy. The Mets traded for Bryan Hudson for lefty depth. Outside of Lavender, the only other lefties in camp on NRI’s are Joe Jacques, Anderson Severino, Matt Turner,  and Brandon Waddell.

Hopefully Nate Lavender has an uneventful spring training and is able to reestablish himself on the mound. The next step from there is to get more reps under his belt at Syracuse. With the Mets’ recent injury track record with pitchers, there is a significant chance the Mets will call on him at some point this season. There was a genuine buzz around him in 2024, fingers crossed, we get to feel that buzz for him again in 2026.

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After them, though, the bottom four spots of the Mets bullpen still have a fair share of question marks. Another free agent signing or trade acquisition is possible, if not probable, but there will almost certainly be spring training competition for at least a couple of spots.

Former Chicago Cub Adbert Alzolay signed a two-year minor league deal with the Mets last offseason and spent all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He recently started pitching again in the Venezuelan Winter League, so he should be ready for spring training. Huascar Brazobán, who looked fantastic at times and unplayable at others last year, will be in the mix. Richard Lovelady, Cooper Criswell, Austin Warren, Joey Gerber, Carl Edwards Jr., and Alex Carrillo all have a shot as well.

But what about prospects? One of David Stearns’ hallmarks in Milwaukee was his ability to develop high-quality relief pitchers instead of needing to pay them. The current Mets closer, Williams, is one of them.

Development takes time; these things do not happen overnight. Now, two years into Stearns’ tenure with the Mets, some of these prospects are ready to start impacting the big league club.

Dylan Ross. Photo by Kylie-Richelle

Dylan Ross

Fans might recognize Dylan Ross from the tail end of the 2025 season (if you haven’t mentally blocked it out by now). He was promoted to the big league club on Sept. 27 in time for the final two games of the regular season, but never made his MLB debut.

Ross, a 13th-round pick in 2022, was selected by the Mets in the middle of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He suffered a setback after signing and underwent a UCL revision procedure, pushing his timeline back another year. By the time he was fully healthy and ready to pitch in a game, the 2024 season was almost over. He made his pro debut and his one and only appearance of 2024 on Sept. 7.

After some Arizona Fall League action to end 2024, he flew through the minors in 2025. Ross started the year at High-A Brooklyn but quickly earned promotions to Double-A, Triple-A and then eventually MLB. He’s a fireballer who can hit triple digits on the gun, but he uses his splitter and his slider almost an equal amount. Both are good pitchers, and he’ll even mix in a curveball here or there. It’s a deep arsenal for a relief pitcher, and paired with top-end velocity, Ross has true back-end of the bullpen potential if he can lower the unsustainable 14.7% walk rate. Seeing as the Mets evidently felt confident enough in him to promote him to end 2025, making the Opening Day roster is a real possibility.

Ryan Lambert

An eighth-round pick in 2024, Ryan Lambert should make his MLB debut in 2026. The Mets pushed him aggressively to High-A in his draft year, a rarity, which set expectations for them to continue being aggressive with him in 2025. However, they eased off the throttle a bit. Lambert started 2025 in High-A and was quickly promoted to Double-A, but then stayed there for the rest of the year. He made 39 appearances for the Rumble Ponies and posted a 1.71 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.

Lambert’s 39.5% strikeout rate on the season trailed only Tong among Mets minor leaguers with at least 50 innings pitched, but it came with a 13.2% walk rate. He’s a classic two-pitch, fastball-slider fireballer. He can hit triple digits, he strikes a ton of batters out, and he can sometimes lose the zone. He’s a big league arm. The only question is when. Opening Day might be pushing it, the Mets may want to get him some looks at Triple-A first, but it’s not off the table. Especially today, going straight from Double-A to the big leagues is becoming more and more common.

Jonathan Pintaro

Jonathan Pintaro is a fascinating prospect. Signed out of independent ball in June of 2024, Pintaro stepped into affiliated ball for the first time as a 26-year-old and shone. He dominated High-A, was great in Double-A, and even made it to Triple-A all in his first three months in the organization. He started 2025 back at Double-A and was once again very good, and then got the call to make his big league debut straight from Binghamton. Ultimately, it didn’t go great. The Mets put him in the 9th inning to close out a 7-1 game vs. the Atlanta Braves, but gave up two runs and was only able to get two outs before the Mets turned to Díaz to finish the job.

He was then sent back to the minors, but this time to Triple-A, where he remained for the rest of the year. At 28 years old, he’s not a traditional prospect, but Pintaro’s stuff is very real. He throws a diverse five-pitch mix that’s headlined by a very good cutter and is accompanied by a 4-seam, changeup, sinker and sweeper. He’ll probably at least be given a chance to make the Opening Day roster, and if he doesn’t will certainly be in the cards for a promotion when the Mets need to make a move.

Douglas Orellana

Douglas Orellana is a fantastic storyteller. He signed with the Mets when he was 19 — old for international free agent signees — and has had to deal with the challenges that come with that throughout his pro career. He’s slowly climbed the organizational ladder, impressing at each stop, and made it as high as Triple-A last season.

He has a fastball that he throws in the mid-90s (and occasionally high 90s) along with a slider and curveball. The slider is his best pitch, and it’s a true plus offering. Now a full-time reliever, Orellana does have experience starting, so there’s an easy-to-see path for him to break into the big leagues as a multi-inning reliever. He has the stuff to give him a chance to earn higher leverage opportunities down the line, but the most likely outcome for Orellana in 2026 is to be a frequent passenger on the shuttle from Syracuse to Queens, most likely during the second half of the season.

Nate Lavender

Remember Nate Lavender? During 2024 spring training, Lavender began to emerge as a lefty with a legitimate chance to impact the big league roster at some point. Then, five games into his 2024 season, he partially tore his UCL and needed to undergo elbow surgery. The following offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Lavender in the Rule 5 Draft. He spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list for the Rays, and at the end of the season, was returned to the Mets.

Lavender hasn’t thrown a pitch in a game since April 19, 2024. He will not be in play for Opening Day. But good lefties are few and far between. If Lavender has recovered from his nearly two-year absence, he has a chance to be a good lefty. IT will take time to see how his recovery has gone, but if he gets back on the mound and starts having success at Triple-A, he has a good chance to make it to Queens in 2026.

Ryan Ammons & Saul Garcia

These last two are long shots. The Mets acquired Ryan Ammons during the 2024 offseason from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Justin Slaten, who the Mets selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Slaten was never really a Met; the Red Sox essentially “moved up” in the Rule 5 Draft, and gave the Mets Ammons to do so. After starting his Mets (and professional baseball) career at Single-A, Ammons has spent about the last year and a half with High-A Brooklyn. He strikes out a ton of batters, but also walks a ton. While he’s only reached High-A, he is a lefty, and lefties are valuable. If he moves up the ladder in 2026 and pitches well, there’s a chance he could be called upon at some point by the end of the year.

Saul Garcia had a similar season to Lambert. Both pitchers appeared at both High-A and Double-A, threw about 50 innings with a sub-2 ERA, and had a high strikeout rate to go with a high walk rate. Where they differ is that Garcia spent most of his year at High-A and finished with just a taste of Double-A, while Lambert was the opposite. Garcia should start 2026 back at Double-A and figures to see significant time there, but if he pitches well enough and the Mets have a need, it’s not out of the question to see him in Queens at some point.

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