New York Upstate of Mind: Road Trip Diary 2026 Day 2: From Blue Devils to Mets Blue: Jonathan Santucci Finds His Footing in Binghamton

If Day One of our “New York Upstate of Mind” Mets prospect tour was a stop in Syracuse with Triple-A pace, bigger stadium energy, and the reminder that the finish line is never as close as it feels, then Day Two in Binghamton brought things a little closer to the ground. Mirabito Stadium has a way of doing that. It’s a Double-A ballpark that puts you right on top of the action, where you can hear every glove pop, every dugout comment, and every pitcher trying to figure out who he is going to become next.

One of those pitchers is Jonathan Santucci, who met us in Binghamton with a calm, matter-of-fact approach that fits the level he is still learning to master.

What stands out quickly with Santucci is how much of his development has been about routine and understanding his body, not just stuff or velocity.

“I’d just say it allowed me to look at baseball in a different capacity, especially on the pitching side,” he said. “Learning my routine better and kind of just learning how my body works, doing that at an early age, I think that helps going into pro ball, learning a routine of what makes me feel good each and every day, and be able to control the ball a little bit better.”

That kind of self-awareness is usually what separates a pitcher still searching from one who starts moving quickly.

Santucci also dealt with an injury early in his college career, which forced him to reset physically and mentally.

“Just, luckily, something that I was able to bounce back from pretty quickly, only a couple months,” he said. “By the time I got back to school, I was able to do everything again, so I’m thankful for that, everybody that helped me along the way in that rehab process.”

Like a lot of young pitchers, the bigger challenge came after he returned, when results and expectations didn’t always line up right away.

“I think a lot of it was just getting used to what pro ball is,” Santucci said. “And experiencing that for the first time, and just getting back to who I know I am, kind of just having that mindset, just like you’re there for a reason, and go out there and show that. Once I got back to that, I was able to go on a roll and continue that for the rest of the season.”

That adjustment is part of what makes Double-A such an important stop. It’s where talent meets consistency.

The differences between college baseball at Duke and professional baseball were also a major adjustment.

“I think in college, you’re with your teammates each and every day,” he said. “You go to class with them, you go to practice, you live with them, and you just become really tight-knit all year around.”

Pro ball, he explained, changes that dynamic immediately.

“You go to pro ball and you don’t know who you’re playing with at the beginning, and then you end up gaining these really good relationships as the season goes on,” Santucci said. “By the end of the year, the relationships grew, and I think that’s why we were so good. Our relationships on and off the field grew a lot.”

That sense of connection is something he has learned to lean on as the grind of a full season sets in.

Off the field, Santucci is still adjusting to life without school structure, something he admits took time.

“I actually kind of struggle with that a little bit because my mind has always been school and baseball,” he said. “I like having something else to lean on outside of baseball.”

So he’s had to build new habits.

“Golfing a lot more on the off days,” he said. “Really just hanging out as much as possible with my buddies off the field.”

And just as importantly, learning how not to let baseball consume everything.

“Once we’re not at the field, talk about baseball and not let it consume you,” he said. “Just let that day be over with and move on to the next because baseball is so mental that you can’t think about it all day or it’s going to drive you crazy.”

On the mound, Santucci’s identity starts with his fastball and slider, a combination he believes can work at any level.

“I think I have the confidence and conviction in those that no matter what level that’s at, I can get anybody out with those pitches,” he said.

But he is also realistic about what comes next.

“It definitely makes your life easier to have a third and fourth pitch,” Santucci said. “I’ve been experimenting with that a lot. I think those are two weapons of mine as well, especially the curveball right now and sprinkling in the changeup.”

Still, he is not chasing reinvention.

“I don’t think it’s going to be the end all be all,” he said. “Just the way those tunnel off each other and how hard hitting is in general… when you attack with those two, it opens up a lot more.”

Having been a two-way player earlier in his career also gives him a different perspective on pitching.

“I think it just shows me on the mound and gives me more confidence that I know how hard hitting is,” Santucci said. “Being with these guys every single day, knowing what they go through each and every day they have up there, and understanding that part. It’s hard. It’s one of the hardest things to do.”

That understanding shapes how he attacks hitters now.

“It gives you no other reason why you wouldn’t attack with your best stuff and see what they can do with it,” he said.

Within the Mets system, Santucci is also part of a growing group of young pitchers moving through together, something he clearly values.

“It’s really, really cool,” he said. “We’re very close off the field. In spring training, we’re always with each other, and we can lean on each other.”

As for the organization itself, he pointed to the pitching department as a whole rather than any single individual.

“I don’t think it’s fair to point out one guy,” Santucci said. “The whole pitching department. Everything they do and all the information they gather for us on a daily basis from the analytical guys. They’ve all been extremely helpful in learning how to be a professional pitcher.”

And that, more than anything, is where he is right now in Binghamton. Not at the finish line, not at the peak, but in the middle of learning what it takes to become what the Mets hope he can be.

Here is the full interview with Jonathan Santucci :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qB-bqsX2c