Minor League Mondays: Will Watson Offers Intriguing Potential As A Starter

While the New York Mets acted boldly to address their bullpen needs at the trade deadline, many of those moves came at the cost of pitching depth from the minor leagues. While David Stearns did avoid the top arms in his system, a lot of the second wave of pitchers got moved, creating vacancies for newer prospects to rise in the organizational hierarchy. One such pitcher is Brooklyn's Will Watson, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.

RHP Will Watson during his time with the St. Lucie Mets

Watson, 22, was the Mets' seventh-round pick in 2024 out of USC. While the Trojans had Watson working as a reliever before a late move to the rotation, the Mets saw enough potential in his pitch mix to have Watson begin his professional career as a starter. After a brief cameo appearance in the minors last season, Watson was assigned to Low-A St. Lucie this spring for his first full year as a pro.

After posting solid numbers for St. Lucie, the Mets decided to challenge Watson by bumping him up to High-A Brooklyn at mid-season. The increased competition level hasn't been an issue for Watson, who has posted a 1.87 ERA in 57.2 innings for the Cyclones, racking up 72 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched.

An elite fastball headlines Watson's arsenal, which he can throw in both four and two-seam varieties, with the four-seamer topping out at 98 miles per hour. The Mets have also helped Watson add some velocity to his slider and changeup, which has given them the potential to be plus pitches down the line. Watson also added a cutter to give him a fifth pitch, but it has not been nearly as effective as his other offerings.

There are control concerns with Watson, who struggled with walks in college, but those issues haven't really presented themselves in the lower levels of the minors to this point. Command is something the Mets will need to keep an eye on as Watson progresses, with the eventual move to AA Binghamton offering a key clue as to whether Watson's future lies in the rotation or the bullpen.

MLB.com has Watson ranked as the Mets' 11th-best prospect after updating every organization's lists following the draft and trade deadline. The key to Watson's future will be his ability to command his secondary pitches, which would give him the potential to remain a starter down the line. The good news for the Mets is that Watson's strong fastball gives him a floor as a reliever, offering him another path to the majors since a lot of higher-tier pitching prospects are ahead of him in the path to a big-league rotation spot.

Expect the Mets to let Watson finish his highly successful first year in Brooklyn before being bumped up to Binghamton at the start of next season. If Watson is able to stick as a starter, it will probably be two years before he is a big league consideration. The relief path could make Watson an option for the Mets much faster, but the Mets will want to fully explore the starting path first since developing home grown starters is far more valuable to the organization in the long haul than relievers.