NY Mets depth piece signed under unusual circumstances begins rehab assignment

We haven’t seen him all year in 2026, but after a solid 2025 where he had a 4.56 ERA but a 3.77 FIP to tell us he was more unlucky than bad, there’s reason to believe there’s more to Justin Hagenman than a memory. A fractured rib in spring training sidelined him for several months with rehab now underway in St. Lucie.

Hagenman signed with the Mets prior to the 2025 season under unusual circumstances. It was a major league deal despite not having any major league experience. The ERA wasn’t great, however, many of the other numbers were impressive. The 1.09 WHIP came largely due to walking only 2 batters in 23.2 innings. With an 8.7 K/9 rate as well, Hagenman was used as a multi-inning reliever. Until his final appearances on September 9, things were going much better.

Hagenman had 5 earned runs charged to him in 3 innings of work against the Philadelphia Phillies in that last appearance. The ERA launched up from 3.05 to its final 4.56 resting place. He tossed 75 pitches to try to help the Mets get through a day where Sean Manaea allowed 4 in the first two innings and the Mets didn’t score until the 7th.

Justin Hagenman will have a limited opportunity to remind the Mets why they had faith in him

The fact that he was a minor league free agent last offseason rubs a little bit of the optimism off on what Hagenman can be. A 4.72 ERA in 299.2 innings at the Triple-A level, he’s closer to an innings eater than a high-leverage beast.

Two minor league options available as of right now, his IL placement saved the Mets in 2026 from inevitably eating one of them up. Not much should have changed about what the Mets think of him. The biggest challenge for him may be simply separating himself from everyone else already auditioning at the big league level. With only 40 roster spots to work with and multiple prospects the Mets will want to protect this offseason as well as incoming players, a pitcher who turns 30 in October with minimal MLB experience can get overlooked.

Multiple minor league options as well as a proven ability to throw lots of pitches will give Hagenman an edge over some others. Several relievers currently on the 40-man roster have already had their final option used this year. For Hagenman, taking on the Xzavion Curry role feels appropriate.

Non-tendering players and immediately re-signing a few to minor league contracts is a plausible outcome for several of those arms on the outskirts of the roster. The players without minor league options remaining might be better fits than Hagenman.

As for how appearance number one went, Hagenman lasted 2.1 innings, allowed an earned run, and struck out 3. The performance included 43 pitches, 25 for strikes. For a player like Hagenman, the key is to just not get completely lit up. He’s right there in the mix to finish off the year in the big leagues in some capacity. The Mets may just wait to a point where they can keep both of those coveted minor league options intact.

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