Jack Wenninger doesn't light up the radar gun or deliver knee-buckling curveballs. He may not intimidate opposing batters.
All the 24-year-old does is pitch ... and he does it very well.
Wenninger's brilliant start to 2026 steamed onward with six scoreless innings for Triple-A Syracuse, which defeated visiting Rochester, 3-1, on Wednesday night at NBT Bank Stadium.
The Mets' No. 6 prospect struck out five while scattering two singles and three walks during his 88-pitch performance. That lowered Wenninger's ERA to 1.27, the best mark among qualified hurlers in all of Triple-A.
Wenninger faced his only real crisis in the fifth inning when Rochester loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit batsman, but he retired Harry Ford (WSH No. 3/MLB No. 59) on a grounder to short to end the threat. The right-hander worked around a one-out walk in the sixth to complete the frame for the first time since twirling six scoreless in his first postseason start as a pro last Sept. 18.
COMPLETE METS PROSPECT COVERAGE
As is his wont, Wenninger topped out at 95.3 mph and mixed all of his pitches effectively. The Illinois native kept Rochester hitters off balance, using his heater 28 percent of the time followed closely with his changeup (22 percent), slider (22 percent) and sweeper (19 percent). This is the methodology he's employed to excel through the first six weeks of the season, during which time he's held opposing batters to a .178 average and just four extra-base hits.
Wenninger's consistency has been a staple of his success, which can be traced back to the second half of 2024 following a promotion to High-A Brooklyn. Then the Illinois-born right-hander really took off during a breakout 2025 campaign at Double-A Binghamton.
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Beginning with his second start at High-A on July 14, 2024, Wenninger has compiled a 2.58 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 226 strikeouts in 202 2/3 innings -- the bulk of that coming with the Rumble Ponies last year, when he set career highs in nearly every category.
Wenninger's eye-opening campaign earned him postseason All-Star honors in the Eastern League and put him atop many "keep-an-eye-on-him" lists heading into 2026. So far, he has not disappointed, yielding a run or fewer in four of his six starts for Syracuse.
Ryan Clifford (NYM No. 4) provided an early offensive boost for Wenninger, slugging his sixth homer 112.6 mph and 404 feet over the fence in right-center field in the opening frame.