3 NY Mets prospects whose strong spring training must carry into the regular season

The New York Mets brought a handful of prospects into spring training. Some are the Mets’ best prospects, like Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. But they’re not the only Mets prospects having strong spring training campaigns. If these three prospects continue to play like they are now, they could benefit a lot, even more than the likes of Sproat or Williams. Some are entering make-or-break campaigns or are going to get their first shot at a full season of playing time, so continuing to play well is almost a must for these three.

1) Dom Hamel

Dom Hamel was a third-round pick by the Mets in 2021. The right-hander performed well at every level of the minor leagues from 2021 through 2023. Heading into 2024, Hamel was ranked as a top 15 prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline. With this being his age-25 season, he may have been able to make an impact in the Major Leagues.

Unfortunately, Hamel had by far the worst season of his career. In 124.2 innings, Hamel had just a 6.79 ERA, 5.95 FIP, and 1.75 WHIP. He walked 13.2% of opponents with a strikeout percentage of just 21.3%. Hamel also allowed his fair share of home runs with a 1.66 HR/9 ratio. Among the 51 Triple-A pitchers with at least 20 games started, Hamel ranked in the bottom ten in terms of ERA, FIP, WHIP, and home run rate.

But Hamel looks a lot better in spring training. He’s pitched three scoreless innings, striking out four batters with just one walk. Most importantly, Hamel’s stuff looked like it ticked back up from 2024. Last season at Triple-A, his four-seam fastball sat at around 92-93 MPH with only 13.7 inches of downward movement. However, he was sitting around 94-95 MPH with 11.9 inches of drop. Hamel also changed his mechanics and release point, which should hopefully help him out in the long run.

Hamel desperately needs a rebound season. He isn’t young, as he just turned 26 at the start of March, so now is the time for his make-or-break. What Hamel flashed in spring training was a step in the right direction. If he can keep up the gains he made in the preseason, he will have a strong chance at a bounce-back season and potentially even see the Major Leagues at some point in 2025.