Jonathan Santucci entered his second start at Triple-A on Friday night leading the Minors in strikeouts with 127.
The left-hander added six K's to that tally as he tossed 5 1/3 frames while yielding four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks in Syracuse's 6-5 victory over Columbus at NBT Bank Stadium.
Santucci became the first Syracuse starter to record an out in the sixth inning since Jack Wenninger (NYM No. 9) on the fourth of July. The Mets' No. 3 prospect continues to pace the Minors with 133 strikeouts over 100 innings across Double-A and Triple-A this season.
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The 23-year-old has recorded at least six punchouts in each of his past six starts, including a career-high 13 over 5 2/3 frames for Double-A Binghamton on July 19.
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Prior to his promotion to the Minors' highest level on July 28, Santucci paced the Eastern League with a .213 average against and posted a 3.57 ERA with 1.25 WHIP and 120 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings for the Rumble Ponies.
After a rough outing in his Triple-A debut last week, Santucci bounced back in his first home start for Syracuse -- retiring a run of five batters in a row between the second and third innings. He exited after throwing 86 pitches, 48 for strikes.
The Duke product signed with the Mets for full slot as the No. 46 overall pick in the 2024 Draft with a $2,031,700 bonus. After a rough start to his pro career with High-A Brooklyn, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound southpaw finished his rookie campaign strong with a 3.06 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.
The second-ranked Mets pitching prospect is equipped with a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball -- that can flash up to 97 -- from a high release angle that generates good carry toward the top of the zone. He pitches off of that heater with an 86-88 mph slider, a two-plane breaker that snaps late enough to keep hitters off balance and misses bats with regularity. He uses it against both righties and lefties with strong effect, and its effectiveness allows him to limit his usage of his still developing low-80s curveball or upper-80s changeup.
The 23-year-old has a path to Queens with his effective two-pitch mix, but that would likely come in the form of a high-leverage reliever or backend starter. While he remains stretched out and continues to show the ability to dominate hitters in the Minors, he will need to develop a third offering into a plus offering to be considered for the middle of the Mets rotation.