Mets of the Future: Franklyn Kilome did a lot right in Binghamton

During his brief stint with the New York Mets Double-A team in 2018, pitcher Franklyn Kilome showed a lot of promise.

New York Mets farmhand Franklyn Kilome is the tallest and lightest member of the organization’s 40-man roster. Listed at 6’6 and 175 pounds, he carries a tall, slender frame with him to the mound higher than anyone else with the least amount of weight preventing him from floating off into space.

More important than the structure of his body is the foundation of his game. When the Mets acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Asdrubal Cabrera trade, there was a question about his control. In the seven starts he made for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Kilome did a lot of things right.

Though he went 0-3 with an uninspiring 4.03 ERA, Kilome pitched with much better control. He walked batters at a rate of only 2.4 per nine. For a guy with a career rate of 3.7 per nine, it’s a promising change.

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The sample size is still minor, but perhaps an organizational switch could help Kilome turn into a big league pitcher. The organization seems to always develop starting pitchers well. Could Kilome be the next?

Following the swap, Kilome slotted in as the franchise’s number five prospect. Sandwiched between fellow pitchers Justin Dunn and David Peterson at three and five respectively, he’s competing for a future spot in the Mets rotation alongside that pair. As they always seem to do, the Mets have future starters loaded in the chamber.

Kilome wasn’t at his sharpest in 2018 while pitching for Reading in the Phillies’ organization. However, the ballpark there is known to favor hitters.

Perhaps this is what caused his ERA to leap into the 4.00s in a career that always saw him finish in the 3.00s at worst.

Ultimately, Kilome’s big league role may be as a member of the bullpen. The organization needs help there far more than they do in the starting rotation. Between him, Dunn, and Peterson, we should expect at least one of them to bow out as a starter and shift into a relief role.

Any decision like this is still a few years away. Kilome will miss all of 2019 due to Tommy John Surgery. While this is a major setback, it is in no way the end of his journey.

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Before we can know what’s in store for Kilome or the others, each must continue to pitch well on the farm and prove they are ready to face big league hitters.