Impressive NY Mets rookie is helping to change the team's future blueprints

There are few guarantees in life, but if we had to start thinking about the New York Mets rotation for next season, there are two locks. Nolan McLean and Christian Scott are it. Everyone else is expendable aside from these two current Mets rookies. Well, maybe they do have company. Although it’s only three starts, Zach Thornton now has a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings of work across 3 starts. A 0.92 WHIP and .180 batting average against him, Thornton has defied his Triple-A numbers, draft positioning, and prospect ranking.

While brilliant last year with a 1.98 ERA overall, Thornton has pitched to only a 4.30 ERA this year with Syracuse. Ranked as the club’s 12th best prospect, the 2023 fifth-round draft pick is excelling much quicker than expected.

Sporadic starts thus far in 2026, a brilliant 7 shutout frames in a heartbreaking (if yours hasn’t been shattered already) loss to the Boston Red Sox shouldn’t have us ignoring the otherwise promising start. On the radar but behind some cloud coverage when the year began, Thornton’s big league success makes him a must-use for the remainder of 2026 and someone who should factor into next year’s plans, too.

Zach Thornton looks ready to complete next year’s Mets rotation plans

Two down and three more spots to go, the Mets do have a couple of players already under contract for next year. Sean Manaea is the toughest to move and with three pre-arbitration players on the roster, they can safely afford his overpriced deal. We probably need to assume he is back in the fold.

The same doesn’t apply to Kodai Senga. Another $15 million guaranteed next year, he’s someone the Mets will either need to dump with cash or release altogether. Something has gone terribly wrong if he’s in the team’s rotation next year.

One spot will remain available for the Mets to bring in outside help. Tarik Skubal or a less costly continued relationship with Clay Holmes seems viable. Based on the way David Stearns has operated with the Mets pitching, we’d have to expect at least one more experienced starter as a just in case. That pitcher could always slot in as a longman.

This all assumes that Thornton is, in fact, MLB ready. And even if he isn’t deemed ready quite yet, having him as the sixth man on the starting pitching depth chart would provide a sense of security in case of injury or underperformance.

The plan works perfectly with Stearns’ reluctance to hand out long-term deals to starting pitchers. Bypassing multiple free agents at every opportunity since joining the Mets, a rotation led by McLean, Scott, and Thornton is exactly how Stearns would draw it up. Moreover, Thornton’s continued rise can always have the Mets thinking about trading Jonah Tong or making him into a bullpen piece where he could always translate best.

Mets prospects, in particular their pitchers, took a big step backward this year. Thornton has turned into one of their more pleasant surprises and that’s not even grading things on a curve. Under any circumstances, a young starting pitcher who can get you major league outs is welcomed.

Hold your nicknames until we actually see more from Thornton. The McLean and Scott duo have proven themselves worthy. Thornton, here to provide some left-handed balance, should get a nice 10-12 more starts if the Mets know what’s good for them.

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