Mets Pitching Insights

In the history of the New York Mets, 18 pitchers have started their careers with a sub-3.00 ERA after their first 10 games.

Among them are legends like Tom Seaver (2.64), Nolan Ryan (2.80), and Matt Harvey (2.73), who really left their mark.

There’s also the promising potential of Nolan McLean, who has managed an impressive 2.16 ERA.

Some pitchers, like Masato Yoshii (2.25) and Charlie Puleo (2.94), serve as interesting footnotes in this lineup.

Now we have Zac Thornton, whose own ERA of 2.88 after 10 major league starts raises some eyebrows.

As the Mets look ahead to the 2027 season—with 2026 virtually wrapped up—Thornton’s performances suggest he may be a key player going forward.

In a recent game against the Milwaukee Brewers, who ranked as one of the top-scoring teams, Thornton held them to just one run over six innings, leading the Mets to a 3-2 win at Citi Field.

“I thought I did pretty well changing speeds on them,” he said, explaining how he utilized seven different pitches, half of which led to swing-and-miss moments.

He neither walked a batter nor wasted pitches, with 62 out of 89 being strikes.

Thornton, known for his finesse, also showed off some speed, reaching a maximum of 95.4 mph. He smiled, noting, “I’m definitely seeing those 95s up there.”

While he seems to be finding his stride, I suppose that six days of rest might have helped him out a bit.

Regardless, his consistent performance is turning heads, and he might soon find himself locked into the 2027 rotation.

“I think he is who we thought he was: a fearless competitor who doesn’t care who gets in the batter’s box,” interim manager Andy Green remarked. “He might give up a home run on the first pitch, but then he’s going to pitch like he always does.”

In the fourth inning, Thornton did allow a run that could be noted as questionable; a soft ground ball turned away from Bo Bichette, resulting in a double for William Contreras. Yet, the Brewers struggled to make solid contact for the rest of the game.

Since his rough start in Washington, where he allowed four runs in just over four innings, Thornton has been on a roll.

On a related note, Luis Robert Jr. recently hit his sixth home run in just 14 games, and his OPS has surged from .606 to .737.

Carson Benge also contributed significantly with three hits and an intentional walk, maintaining a .303 average since May 1.

How Green manages catcher playing time as the season progresses is becoming an interesting subplot.

In a recent game against Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison, Francisco Alvarez was benched in favor of Luis Torrens, who has been impressive lately. Sometimes both catchers get the nod against righties, but on this occasion, Eric Wagaman was the designated hitter instead of Alvarez.

Alvarez has been a reliable starter when healthy since 2023, while Torrens, since his 2024 trade, has been one of the top backup catchers in the league.

Before going 1-for-4, Torrens had a fantastic run, hitting .393 with six home runs in his previous ten games. In contrast, Alvarez is currently struggling with just two hits in his last 33 at-bats.

“I think we’re still going to see Alvy out there pretty regularly,” Green said. “Both will continue to get plenty of playing time as the season closes out.”

“Alvy’s gone through a rough patch, but he has been excellent defensively,” he added, mentioning Alvarez’s moderate success in framing pitches and throwing out runners.

Torrens, who may not offer as much offensively, excels in defensive categories even more.

“I still have a lot of faith in Alvy’s potential,” Green remarked about the 24-year-old, who hasn’t yet fully lived up to his once top-prospect status. “He’ll still get his fair share of at-bats.”

Regarding injuries, Green didn’t have any new updates on Juan Soto, who has been out for over a month with a calf strain, or Devin Williams, who has been sidelined since early August due to a shoulder issue.

However, Green expressed optimism that both might return before the season ends.

As for Mark Vientos, Green mentioned that he’s “not particularly close” to being an option for the Mets, as Vientos has struggled in his early games back from a hand injury, going 0-for-8 with a walk.

“We’re going to let his on-field performance and his comfort dictate his timeline,” Green said. “After a hand injury, you really need to get some at-bats to get back into form.”