One notable change in the New York Mets' farm system the past two years has been the proliferation of growth from pitching prospects. The Mets have been a pitching factory throughout their history but the pipeline has been running dry since the mid-2010s due to a bevy of promotions and trades, leaving the organization lacking in terms of high-end starting prospects. A few have emerged this season and there are others that can still make a potential impact, including Binghamton righty Tyler Stuart, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.
Stuart, 24, was the Mets' sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Southern Miss and worked primarily as a reliever in college due to his strong fastball-slider combo. The Mets decided to try the 6-foot-9 Stuart as a starter and got strong results in 2023 as he led the minors in ERA for the early portion of the season and earned a promotion to AA Binghamton. The final totals for Stuart in 2023 were solid as he went 7-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts, compiling a 112:32 strikeout to walk ratio in 110.2 innings pitched.
The Mets opted to have Stuart repeat AA to begin this season and he has hit a bit of a rough patch, entering this week with a 1-5 record and 5.02 ERA in 11 starts. The strikeout to walk ratio is similar to what Stuart did last season as he has posted a 58:16 ratio in 52 innings pitched but he has given up more base hits (59 compared to 90 in 110.2 innings last season) and home runs (five compared to seven in all of 2023).
This bump in the road could be an inflection point for Stuart, who is currently rated as the Mets' 18th-best prospect according to MLB.com, since he is already 24 years old and doesn't have a good third pitch to go with the excellent fastball and slider. Strong control has allowed Stuart to have success without making extensive use of a weak changeup, but more advanced hitters will likely be able to adapt to Stuart as he faces them multiple times in a game.
The development of other intriguing prospects in the farm system, like Christian Scott, Blade Tidwell, and Jonah Tong, could entice the Mets to consider moving Stuart into a relief role at some point. Stuart's slider, which he threw roughly half the time last season, has excellent movement and can be an effective out pitch in short stints while his fastball is a solid complement.
Expect the Mets to let Stuart try figuring things out in Binghamton for the rest of this season before making a decision on his future at the end of the year. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns has shown an ability to find good value in regards to pitching so there is no doubt the organization will likely find a home for Stuart's skills in the future. Don't expect a big-league run this season but next year could be an interesting one for Stuart's career.
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