2) Jack Wenninger
A 2023 6th-round pick, Jack Wenninger pitched his first full season last year between A-Ball St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. The right-hander had a fairly mediocre ERA. However, he put up some strong peripherals, which could lead to more success in the future. He also ended the 2024 campaign as a top 30 prospect in the Mets' system, per MLB Pipeline.
Wenninger pitched 115 innings for A-Ball Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, working to a 4.30 ERA, but this was about the only negative to Wenninger's numbers. He had a 3.56 FIP and 3.36 xFIP. The young righty had a 27.9% K%, along with an 8% walk rate and 0.86 HR/9. Wenniger also had some strong Statcast metrics at A-Ball, where he got batters to swing and miss 32% of the time. When batters did make contact vs Wenniger, they managed an 87.2 MPH exit velo and 5.1% barrel percentage.
Wenninger's pitch repertoire is vast. He used six different pitches with some regularity in 2024. He's not a flamethrower, sitting low-90s with his four-seamer, but with above average movement. He'll also throw a two-seamer but with more horizontal break than his four-seamer. Wenninger throws three different off-speed pitches. His cutter has plus movement and comes in around 83-84 MPH. Then there's upper-70s curveball with nearly 60 inches of drop. His third breaking pitch is a low-80s slider he'll mix in on occasion. Last but certainly not least is his low-80s change-up. Wenninger has also displayed solid control over all of his pitches.
2025 will be Wenninger's age-23 season, and with how well he did in 43.1 innings at High-A last season, he may get an early season promotion to Double-A if he doesn't open the year there. His ERA does not tell the whole story, as his stats beyond it were excellent. Wenninger could end up being an underrated part of the Mets' farm system and potentially play a role in their Major League depth chart in the near future.