Dom Hamel declares his exact intentions after NY Mets promotion

Over the past month, upgrading the bullpen has been the main goal for the New York Mets. The goal for David Stearns and the company has been to turn the biggest weakness on the roster into a strength. Something he was able to do before the trade deadline passed last Thursday. For the first time in a while, the Mets have a bullpen that fans can trust to keep them in games. It will no longer be a nerve-racking experience trying to get to Diaz in the ninth.

However, while the bullpen is pretty much set for the rest of the season, that doesn't mean there will be minor tweaks here and there. Calling up a guy in order to get a fresh arm in the pen during a long stretch without an off day. On Monday, the Mets made one of these moves, calling up Dom Hamel from Triple-A. It did not take long for Hamel to make a good first impression on the New York media.

While this is the perfect attitude for a pitcher to have and has the potential to make him a fan favorite, the odds are against Hamel being able to become a permanent member of the bullpen. But why does it seem like such a long shot that this once highly touted pitcher can be a mainstay on the roster?

It will be an uphill battle for Dom Hamel to be a staple on the Mets roster

At one point, Hamel was seen as a future member of the Mets rotation. Just two seasons ago, he was a top ten prospect in the Mets system, with MLB Pipeline ranking him as the ninth best prospect in the system. Granted, the reason he was so high could be due to the Mets' weaker farm system. But even as he fell in the ranking in 2024, he still had some upside.

Yet at the start of 2025, Hamel had little to no value. He was the 29th-ranked prospect before the deadline and moved up two slots after all the wheeling and dealing. He was even in the Rule 5 draft this past season, but went unselected—a surprise considering how valuable young controllable pitchers are.

The reason for Hamel falling across many prospect rankings was his abysmal 2024 season. In his first season at Triple-A, he posted some of the worst numbers of his pro career. Over 27 starts, he pitched 124 2/3 innings to a 6.79 ERA with 124 strikeouts, 77 walks, and a 1.749 WHIP. This season hasn't been much better, as over 53 1/3 innings, he has a 4.73 ERA with 59 strikeouts, 15 walks, and a WHIP of 1.256.

Hamel's stats don't inspire much confidence, and the Mets' recent move makes his goal seem like an impossible task. In order to make room for Hamel, they sent down Austin Warren. A pitcher who had an ERA under one over nine and a third, including four shutout innings on Sunday against the Giants. If a pitcher performing like that can be sent down for a fresh arm, it makes the Hamel goal much harder. It feels that no matter how well Hamel does, he'll eventually be on his way back to Syracuse once the Mets need a fresh arm.