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Wise NY Mets minor league project is flaming out before it ever gets started

From promising to forgotten.
Feb 18, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA;  New York Mets pitcher Adbert Alzolay (73) throws bullpen pitches during spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Feb 18, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Adbert Alzolay (73) throws bullpen pitches during spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Mets decided to play the long game with him. Coming off of Tommy John surgery, the Mets signed Adbert Alzolay to a two-year minor league contract and let him spend all of 2025 rehabbing. Back on the field this year, he has pitched exclusively in the minor leagues.

Unfortunately, that’s where he may stay. Alzolay gave up 4 runs in 0.2 innings for Syracuse on Tuesday night. It lifted his ERA to 10.38 through his first 8.2 innings in Triple-A.

What was such a wise move to hopefully add an internal weapon for the 2026 season is flaming out before it ever got started.

Things aren’t going well for Adbert Alzolay in the minors

It’s not as if Alzolay’s numbers are slanted because of one or two bad outings. 5 of his 8 appearances have included at least one earned run charged to him. There’s no positive spin on it. He is getting hit often.

Hitters batted .351/.419/.676 in June against him. All in Triple-A, the only positive might be that he hasn’t walked anyone in three consecutive outings.

Pitching in Syracuse never seems to be easy. Dylan Ross has a 9.90 ERA. Fellow high-profile relief pitching prospect Ryan Lambert isn’t warming up for a victory lap at 6.00.

The team’s innings leader Jack Wenniger is one of the few bright spots. A 3.84 ERA might not scream for an MLB promotion and yet in comparison to his peers, the numbers look incredible.

Alzolay was never a sure thing to perform even if his recovery went smoothly. A lifetime 4.04 ERA in the big leagues, it was his 2023 campaign where he had a 2.67 ERA and 22 saves for the Chicago Cubs that landed him on the radar of many fans. He had an incredible 1.8 BB/9 rate with 9.4 K/9. In a dream scenario, Alzolay was going to rejoin the Mets in June or July and be a trade deadline addition they didn’t have to give up a body for.

Instead, this is going to be a lower-cost version of Shintaro Fujinami, a player the Mets spent a little over $3 million on to walk a small nation in the minors.

No immediate rush to send him away quite yet, Alzolay is performing like his UCL got the best of him.

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