WASHINGTON -- Needing a rotation fill-in for injured starter Clay Holmes, the Mets will turn to one of the most polished strike-throwers in their farm system.
The Mets plan to call up 13th-ranked prospect Zach Thornton to pitch in a bulk role Wednesday against the Nationals, either as a starter or behind an opener. Thornton, a 24-year-old left-hander who was the organization’s fifth-round Draft pick in 2023, is only two weeks removed from a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse.
Still, the Mets chose him over a host of more experienced candidates, including second-ranked prospect Jonah Tong and fifth-ranked Jack Wenninger. Tong, who debuted late last season, holds a 5.68 ERA at Syracuse as he continues to work through mechanical issues. Wenninger owns a more impressive 1.51 ERA through eight starts at Syracuse, but Mets officials believe his relative lack of command suggests a need for more development at that level.
That left only Thornton and veteran reliever Tobias Myers as realistic options. But Myers is not stretched out, so the Mets will take a chance on Thornton, who is 1-3 with a 3.16 ERA over seven starts split between Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton.
“He earned it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “The way he’s been throwing the ball, especially at the Triple-A level, we like [him] as a lefty against this lineup, his ability to throw strikes, his pitchability. There were a lot of names. Jonah was one of them, obviously. But in the end, we decided to go with that.”
Standing 6-foot-3, Thornton lacks the type of velocity that higher-end Mets prospects such as Tong and Wenninger possess, sitting mostly in the 92-93 mph range. He makes up for it with some of the best control in the Minor Leagues, relying heavily on a mid-80s slider that he throws about as often as his four- and two-seam fastballs combined. Thornton also mixes in a slower curveball and, on occasion, a changeup.
One rival scout who recently saw Thornton throw said he “can really pitch and throw strikes,” while noting that his lack of premium stuff gives him blowup potential if he’s not commanding the ball on a given day. But that hasn’t happened often in the Minors for Thornton, who has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 19 of his 21 starts since the beginning of last season.
Thornton also acquitted himself well this spring, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings in two Grapefruit League starts. Mendoza described him as “a guy that’s going to move the ball around, he’s going to throw strikes.”
“He wasn’t afraid,” the manager added. “He did his part.”
The final decision point in Thornton’s favor was his left-handedness, which could neutralize some of Washington’s top hitters, including lefties James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile.
Wednesday’s start at Nationals Park will effectively be an audition for Thornton, who could remain in the rotation if he pitches well, given that Holmes will miss multiple months with a fractured right fibula. But if Thornton struggles, the Mets could look to another option next week, such as Tong, Wenninger, Myers or Sean Manaea, the latter of whom threw 57 pitches during a four-inning relief outing on Sunday.
“All we know is he’s coming in for the Wednesday game,” Mendoza said of Thornton, “and then we’ll go from there.”