Mets: Should Franklyn Kilome be given a shot in the Mets rotation?

If the New York Mets are looking to fill a hole in the starting rotation, they should look no further than Franklyn Kilome.

Back on July 27, 2018, the New York Mets made a rare intra-division trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that shipped out infielder Asdrubal Cabrera for one of the top pitching prospects in the Phillies system. That prospect that the Mets acquired is the behemoth 6’6 Franklyn Kilome.

When the 25-year old right-hander was acquired back in 2018 he immediately had risen up the Mets Top Prospect list and was ranked as high as the number three by MLB Pipeline. Many around the league had praised the Mets for the return they received for what was essentially a rental for the Phillies.

Kilome had just put up a great season in 2017 with the Phillies High-A and Double-A minor league affiliates with a combined 2.83 ERA in 24 starts and 127 innings pitched. While his command is something he has always struggled with, as he walked 52, he ultimately struck out 103 batters in 2017. The previous season he had fanned 130 batters in 114 innings pitched. The potential he possesses his unquestioned.

More from Rising Apple

• NY Mets Friday Farming: Realistic ETAs for top prospects
• NY Mets Free Agent Retrospective: Daniel Murphy becomes an enemy
• NY Mets: 1 major award you didn’t realize the team has never won
• NY Mets: Trade market for starting pitchers feels non-existent
• NY Mets prospect Eric Orze has the stuff to become a future closer

Unfortunately, the hype that surrounded Kilome would be put on the back burner as he would undergo the all-too-familiar Tommy John surgery in October of 2018 and would miss the entire 2019 campaign, after only making seven minor league starts for the Mets at Double-A Binghamton.

Flash forward to 2020 and the Dominican-born Kilome made his major league debut for the Mets on August 1st in Atlanta, and pitched four innings in relief, and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five.

The key stat was he walked none. He also set the Mets franchise record with five strikeouts out of the bullpen in his Major League debut.

In his second Major League appearance against the Marlins on August 17th, Kilome pitched three innings while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four. However his command wasn’t very sharp as he walked five, but you could again see the electricity he possesses in his right arm.

The Mets are currently struggling for bodies in their starting rotation, as they are missing both Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman for the entire season, and there is no clear timetable on the return of Michael Wacha. Not to mention Steven Matz is having the worst statistical season of his career and his long-term outlook in the rotation isn’t very promising. The Mets have turned to Walker Lockett and stretching Robert Gsellman out into a starter which hasn’t netted positive results to this point.

Why not give your 25-year old,15th ranked prospect a turn or two through the rotation? Kilome has shown off the mid-90’s fastball which he throws 49% of the time, sweeping curveball, and the developing changeup he possesses in his arsenal. Harnessing command of those pitches is key if he wants to stick at the big league level, but the pure stuff is undeniable.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

Kilome has made 92 Minor League starts and has thrown as many as 140 innings in a season. He has been bred to be a starting pitcher. Now is a great opportunity while the rotation is in flux to further continue his development as a starter, as well as to see if he can be a contributing piece to next season’s starting rotation.