4 pitchers with the best chance to make a climb on the depth chart during spring training

4) Mike Vasil

Taken in the same 2021 draft as Nate Lavender, Mike Vasil has become a much more well-known name for Mets fans. Frankly, his numbers aren’t anything spectacular. And the same fear of Lavender hitting a minor league wall in Triple-A actually did occur with Vasil last year. He went from a 3.71 ERA in Double-A up to 5.30 in Triple-A.

It’s not unusual for a player to reach a certain level and struggle for weeks or months. Francisco Alvarez routinely slumped at every level as soon as he arrived. After adjusting, he got better. This happened with Vasil last year whose poor Triple-A numbers came from some of his early starts after a promotion.

In spring training, Vasil will have a chance to enter the fray of pitchers hoping for a promotion for starts. While an option for the Mets bullpen as well, that probably wouldn’t occur with him until later in the year. His spring training performance is more about showcasing how ready he is to take the next leap. How soon the Mets actually need to turn to one of their other starting pitchers outside of the expected five will depend on health. If an injury happens early, especially a major one, calling Vasil up shouldn’t be out of the question if he pitches well in February and March.

Vasil can both rise and fall on the depth chart this spring. Caught between the starting pitching options who have major league experience and those who have yet to get to Triple-A, he’ll at the very least need to hope he stays where he is.