How this leftover NY Mets trade deadline acquisition can be much better in 2025

Huascar Brazobán, 35, was acquired by the New York Mets at the 2024 trade deadline in a deal that sent prospect Wilfredo Lara to the Miami Marlins.

Upon his arrival in Queens, Brazobán struggled, posting a 5.14 ERA, an 18.5% strikeout rate, and an especially ugly 15.2% walk rate. These numbers were a significant step back from his early-season performance in Miami, where he posted a 2.93 ERA, a 27.2% strikeout rate, and an 8.8% walk rate.

Brazobán’s struggles turned him into an afterthought in the postseason. He did not make an appearance in the Wild Card series against Milwaukee and was left off both the Division and Championship Series rosters. Based on his underwhelming 21 regular season innings with the Mets and lack of a role in the postseason, Brazobán is largely viewed as a depth piece who needs to fight for the chance to break camp with the big-league club.

The fact that Brazobán’s poor performance with the Mets came in just a 21-inning sample size suggests he may be overlooked as a potentially impactful piece for the 2025 Mets.

Despite the poor results, Brazobán saw his average fastball velocity increase by 1.8 MPH after joining New York and maintained his low exit velocity numbers, which led Major League Baseball in 2024 at 82.3 MPH. These numbers indicate that the pitcher the Mets thought they were acquiring last July is still there.

Digging a bit deeper, Brazobán turned to his sinker more often once he joined the Mets, increasing its usage from 20.7% to 29.4%, while nearly abandoning his cutter, whose usage plummeted from 33.2% to just 14.7%. The starkness of these shifts shows a conscious effort by Brazobán and the Mets staff. This change may explain Brazobán’s struggles, as batters have hit a whopping .434 against his sinker in his career compared to just .186 against his cutter. Moreover, the sinker grades out as Brazobán’s least effective pitch in nearly every meaningful statistical category.

While it is safe to assume that there was a good reason for Brazobán to make this change, the fact is that it did not work out and there is little evidence to suggest that it will moving forward. Adjusting the sinker usage back to around 20% and throwing more cutters should help Brazobán return to being a reliable option out of the pen.

After a season in which the Mets saw depth pieces such as José Iglesias and Reed Garrett make season-altering impacts, a shift in pitch usage and an opportunity at the big-league level could set Huascar Brazobán up to make a similar impact in 2025.