Minor League Mondays: Ryan Lambert Could Come To The Mets' Bullpen Next Season

The New York Mets have always had some degree of difficulty building a competent bullpen, which is an area that David Stearns has specialized in since his time in Milwaukee. Stearns has shown his ability to find usable arms off the scrap heap this season, but the key to Milwaukee's success as a bullpen factory was their ability to develop their own relievers. The Mets have a few potential bullpen candidates that could reinforce the unit down on the farm, including righty Ryan Lambert, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.

Ryan Lambert has shown off explosive stuff for AA Binghamton.

Lambert, 23, was the Mets' eighth-round pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma. After beginning his collegiate career as a starter, Lambert transitioned to the bullpen, where the Mets envision his future as a big leaguer. After a solid cameo for Brooklyn to end the season, Lambert dominated the South Atlantic league at the start of 2025, racking up an absurd 17 strikeouts against just one walk in eight innings pitched, quickly earning a promotion to AA Binghamton.

The results have continued for the Rumble Ponies as Lambert has been dominant in the Eastern League, working to a 1.71 ERA in 39 appearances, striking out 64 batters in 42 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are batting just .190 against Lambert at the AA level, but the one concern is that he has had his walk rate increase significantly, issuing 26 free passes for Binghamton.

The key to Lambert's success is his elite fastball, which sits between 95-98 miles per hour most of the time and has touched 100 of late. That fastball grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scale of scouting, which means it is considered a potentially elite pitch thanks to its combination of velocity and strong vertical break. The other pitch in Lambert's arsenal is an above average slider that sits between 85-88 miles per hour which also has downward movement to keep opposing hitters honest.

There are plenty of relievers who have thrived in the majors with a fastball/slider combo, and Lambert's elite fastball gives him a chance to have a successful career. The walks are definitely a concern, which is a big reason why Lambert hasn't made it to AAA Syracuse yet, and it wouldn't be shocking if the Mets consider having him learn a third pitch to further diversify his arsenal. MLB.com currently rates Lambert as the Mets' 22nd-best prospect, due in large part to his relief only profile. Relievers hold less value as prospects than starting pitchers, but Lambert's elite fastball gives him a chance to provide tremendous value to the Mets in the long haul.

With the minor league season almost over, Lambert is going to wrap up 2025 with Binghamton and will certainly get a look from the big club in spring training. The next step in Lambert's development is a bump to AAA Syracuse, which should happen at the start of the 2026 season, with a focus on cutting down on the walks. Being at Syracuse would mean that Lambert is only one step away from the majors, which is important since Stearns likes to keep at least one bullpen spot rotational for pitchers with minor league options available. Expect Lambert to get a look at the big league level at some point next year with a chance to stick if his fastball overpowers hitters like it has at every level to this point.