NY Mets prospect Ryan Lambert had more than control problems in 2026

Ryan Lambert was supposed to be a candidate to join the New York Mets bullpen in 2026. He never did. His 1.62 ERA in 2025 feels like ages ago. In 2026, his 25.2 innings at the Triple-A level ended with a 7.71 ERA performance.

To nobody’s surprise, control was a major issue. He had a 5.6 BB/9 rate in Double-A during his “notice me” run in 2025. This year in Syracuse, it reached disastrous proportions. At 9.8 BB/9, locating pitches was not something he did efficiently whatsoever.

That’s not all. Walks were a problem, yes. So was his inability to keep the ball low. His 25% groundball/flyball rate was one of the worst in the entire Mets organization. 

Mets prospect Ryan Lambert is flirting with danger by not keeping the ball on the ground

For some context, Kodai Senga had a 33% groundball/flyball rate and was in the 2nd percentile in terms of groundball percentage in 2026. Home runs didn’t destroy Lambert’s year but with 4 in such a short sample, it completely changed his reputation from the year prior. Only one home run surrendered in all of 2025, the uptick was a red flash of what may be on the way.

Two of the four home runs hit against Lambert came in the same game in May. It happens.

Interestingly, his game where he gave up 2 home runs included 13 total pitches and 9 for strikes. Was it a case of him doing the predictable thing and in an attempt to avoid walks he served meatballs?

Lambert is getting another shot to make good on his 2026 by participating in the Arizona Fall League. Not yet Rule 5 Draft eligible until 2027, there is zero urgency to add him to the 40-man roster or press him too hard. A strong showing in the desert this fall to re-land him on the radar for next year’s plans although he’ll need to do a lot better in Triple-A before the Mets truly consider him.

Lambert doesn’t need to become a ground ball pitcher nor should we expect him to. What couldn’t hurt is to find a way to eliminate all of the balls in the air. As effective as they can be, they’re only ever worth one out. A ground ball ends a jam while a pop or fly ball delays a conclusion with fewer than two outs.

Developing more than a fastball and slider seems necessary for Lambert to become a truly impactful pitcher at the major league level. A hard sinker, perhaps, can give his chamber an extra bullet he’s currently missing. It’ll add more movement while eliminating the number of balls in the air and putting more on the ground.

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