WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Dominic Hamel arrived in Port St. Lucie and sat down for his first meeting with David Stearns.
The promising starting pitching candidate told the Mets’ new president of baseball operations a little about himself and specifically his goal of getting to Queens as soon as possible.
“I like to win. I like to compete. I like to pitch,” Hamel told Stearns. “And I want to help the team as quickly as possible if I can.
“I know you have your own expectations of me, but I have them as well. I want to be there. [in the majors]. I want to be a person who can be effective immediately. But that’s something you get by coming here every day and working hard every day. ”
That moment won’t come as soon as Hamel would like, but MLB Pipeline says the No. 14 prospect in the organization is attracting teams’ attention.
Hamel, who led all Mets minor leaguers with 160 strikeouts (in 124 innings) last season, was a third-round pick by Dallas Baptist in 2021 and has steadily worked his way up the system, spending most of last year in Double-A. Spent time in Binghamton. There, he consistently induced whiffs and finished with a 3.85 ERA.
The right-hander got stronger as the season wore on, discovered the newly developed sweeper that had been giving him trouble, and finished the year with 21/3 consecutive shutouts.
Last year was Hamel’s year as a sweeper, where he primarily excelled with his elite ability to rotate his four-seam fastball, curveball and slider.
This could be the year of the cutter, with former Yankees brain and Mets new Triple-A pitching coach Grayson Crawford teaching him a new grip.
“A lot of the scouting reports are like, ‘Fastball, slider,'” Hamel said. “If we can get a cutter in there, he only has to look once.”
The Grapefruit League was not kind to Hamel, who entered the game in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game against the Astros and faced two batters in the pouring rain.
He gave up one walk and induced a ground out before the game was called.
Hamel was then reassigned to minor league camp.
Hamel will not interrupt camp with his major league team, but he is in the upper echelon of the Mets’ starting pitching candidates and hopes to finish his minor league education as soon as possible.
“I know I’m busting my butt. I know I made a good jump,” Hamel said. “If we keep going like this, it’s only a matter of time. We’re about to leave. [Stearns] I have no choice. “
With Wednesday’s game canceled, the Mets will be delaying their starting pitching by one day.
Jose Quintana, who was scheduled to start Wednesday, is scheduled to pitch Thursday against the Nationals.
Kodai Senga, who received a PRP injection on February 23 due to tightness in his right shoulder, “continues to say he feels good with limited activity,” coach Carlos Mendoza said.
Chiga is not expected to resume pitching until at least March 15th.
“He’s strengthening that shoulder,” Mendoza said. “So far, so good.”
Edwin Diaz felt fine the day after his first intrasquad scrimmage.
“All positive signs,” Mendoza said of Diaz, who is scheduled to pitch in Friday’s minor league game.
