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3 under-the-radar NY Mets X-factors who could make a huge difference in 2025

Players like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso get all the spotlight for the NY Mets. But these three could still be very productive, and fly under the radar.

ByNoah Wright|
Championship Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets - Game 4
Championship Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets - Game 4 | Luke Hales/GettyImages
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The New York Mets have a ton of high-profile players. Who isn’t excited to see what the trio of Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor can do next season? They are three of the most popular players in baseball right now. They have plenty of other well-known names like Kodai Senga, Edwin Diaz, and Starling Marte, but they have plenty of other players on their roster who are flying under the radar. These players definitely get overshadowed by some of the more prominent names on the Mets’ roster. However, they could play very vital roles for the 2025 team. 

1) Jose Butto

Jose Butto saw playing time in both 2022 and 2023, but finally got an extended look last season. Not only did Butto have a breakout campaign, but put himself in a great position to play an important role in the Mets’ bullpen in 2025. The right-hander worked both as a starter and long reliever out of the bullpen, putting up some solid numbers.

Butto pitched a total of 74 innings in 30 games, seven of which were starts. All told, Butto had a 2.55 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and 1.07 WHIP. The right-hander struck out his fair share of opponents with a 26.9% K%. His 88.7 MPH exit velo and 7.6% barrel rate were roughly league average, and he held opponents to a 0.73 HR/9. But he struggled to limit free passes and handed out a walk to 12.9% of batters.

Butto’s stuff played better out of the bullpen. Stuff+ put him at an 89 when he was used as a starter. But when he was moved to the pen, he put up a Stuff+ mark of 96. Butto averaged out at 94.2 MPH with his four-seamer while mixing in a sinker, change-up, slider, and sweeper. As expected, he threw harder as a reliever, with his fastball clocking in at 95 MPH on average.

Butto showed he can work both as a starting pitcher and as a long reliever. When he made starts, he had a 3.08 ERA, 4.17 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP. He owned a 2.12 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP out of the pen. That gives the Mets multiple different avenues as to how they can utilize Butto in 2025.

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