Jonathan Santucci

A 23-year-old lefty the Mets selected in the second round in 2024, Santucci built up to 117.2 total innings last year after never throwing more than 58 innings in a season in three years at Duke. Santucci finished the year with 10 starts at Double-A, logging a 2.52 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 63:18 K:BB and a 51.3 percent groundball rate in 50 innings. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound southpaw boasts a plus fastball, borderline double-plus slider that touches 93 mph and a serviceable third-pitch curveball. He is still in the early stages of utilizing a changeup, and improving his third and fourth pitches will be points of emphasis in 2026. The Mets have five or six high-end pitching prospects in the upper levels/majors, so Santucci will have to earn any big-league opportunities in the short term, but he has clear mid-rotation upside. Read Past Outlooks