5 NY Mets players who won’t make the Opening Day roster but can have a huge impact

2) Ryan Lambert

Tong is going to cover emergency starts or replace an injured player. Ryan Lambert should do the same for the bullpen. The hard-throwing righty looks like one of the more promising arms in the minor leagues. A 1.53 ERA through 53 innings as a professional, this is a year to find his control and balance things out a bit with the high strikeout rate.

Needless to say, the Mets are going to use a lot more than 7 or 8 relievers. Injuries plus the need for more well-rested arms will be important. Lambert has yet to pitch above Double-A so making the Opening Day roster feels too ambitious. Give him that same rope they’ll give Tong to heat up in Triple-A and become a solution later on.

The Mets haven’t had a homegrown reliever this exciting in years. They kind of lucked into it with Dedniel Nunez. Injuries at the end of 2024 and in early 2025 deflated that.

An 8th round pick by the Mets in 2024, Lambert has risen fast and should be one of those guys fans clamor for early and often with every mishap from other relievers. The Mets aren’t carrying quite as many optional veterans as they seemed to have in 2025. If he can throw strikes consistently, there’s little reason to hold him back.