2) Hoby Milner
Hoby Milner was surprisingly non-tendered by the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason. The Texas Rangers picked him up on a one-year contract, and it’s looked like a steal for the 2023 World Series winners. Milner has tossed 44.2 innings, working to a 2.42 ERA, 2.17 FIP, and 1.07 WHIP. The side-arm lefty has just a 7.2% walk rate with a respectable 22.2% strikeout percentage. However, he has yet to allow a home run.
Milner is a ground ball machine. He’s put up a GB% over 50% over each of the last three seasons. His 55.9% ground ball rate this year is the highest of his career and is in the top 94th percentile of qualified pitchers this year. It also helps Milner’s average opponent exit velocity sits in the 89th percentile at 87.1 MPH. His 8.7% barrel rate is high for him, given he was below 2% last year, but should improve given the amount of soft contact he induces on the ground.
Milner averages out below 88 MPH with his sinker and four-seam fastball. But he has a -6 degree arm slot, making him one of the few pitchers in baseball this year with an arm angle in the negatives. This, along with above-average movement on all of his offerings, gives him a Stuff+ of 106, a career-high.
The Mets need another left-hander in their bullpen. Right now, the only lefties they have in the pen are Richard Lovelady and Brandon Waddell. Milner would give the Mets their much-needed lefty bullpen help they have been missing since both A.J. Minter and Danny Young went down with injuries earlier this year.