Breakout NY Mets pitching prospect has been a disaster in 2026

R.J. Gordon was one of the biggest success stories in the New York Mets' farm system last year. The 2024 13th-round draft pick completely eviscerated the competition, skyrocketing all the way to Double-A in his first full professional season.

Over the course of nearly 130 innings, the 24-year-old recorded a 3.36 ERA and 3.72 FIP. His 27.3% strikeout rate was one of the best marks in the organization, and suffice it to say, expectations for the right-hander were high coming into 2026.

Unfortunately, if last year's campaign was a dream, this one has been a nightmare for Gordon. He suffered a lat injury in the spring that held him out for most of April, and he clearly hasn't gotten right since. He's responsible for a 14.83 ERA in 10 1/3 innings, having given up three homers already after allowing just 15 all of last year.

It's too early to panic and it was hardly unearned, but it's starting to seem that Gordon's aggressive move up top prospect lists may have been a little premature.

Mets fans should preach patience with R.J. Gordon's performance

Given that we're working with a small sample (one that's preceded by a serious upper-body injury), it's best not to draw too many conclusions at the moment. Gordon has given up three or more earned runs in four of his six appearances thus far, but he was also spotless in his most recent outing, striking out four over 3 1/3 scoreless frames.

Double-A ballparks don't have any Statcast tools on hand, so we don't have too many details on what's causing Gordon's struggles behind the scenes. However, from his brief rehab assignment in A-ball in late April, we can conclude that his fastball velocity is down, as are his spin rates.

It's safe to chalk that up to his lat injury, which prevents him from fully stretching his arm and generating maximum torque during his throwing motion. Once fully recovered, we should start to see Gordon recover the full breadth of his advanced arsenal that makes him such an exciting prospect.

And really, that should be the focus for a 13th-round breakout. If these struggles persist, a further reevaulation will need to be conducted. For the time being, though, he's still a right-handed pitcher who developed a dominant kick change in his first pro season, ran reverse splits, and has above-average command.

The pendulum has swung all the way to the other end on R.J. Gordon's stock, but don't let an injury-fueled collapse fool you; he's still one of the better pitching prospects in the Mets' farm system. There's a reason they didn't trade him over the offseason.

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