The New York Mets’ pitching staff has been pushed to unprecedented limits.
Right-hander Dom Hamel made his Major League debut Wednesday against the San Diego Padres and, in the process, became the 46th different pitcher to appear in a game for the Mets this season, breaking a record held by the 2024 Miami Marlins.
Hamel, 26, worked around three hits to toss a scoreless sixth inning in relief of starter David Peterson. The Mets went on to lose 7-4.
Why Have the Mets Used So Many Pitchers?
The Mets’ record for most pitchers used isn’t one to celebrate. It wasn’t by design or the result of great preparation.
In a season that began with enormous expectations, the staff assembled by president of baseball operations David Stearns has been volatile at best.
Besieged by injuries and underperformance, the Mets (78-74) are just four games over .500 and clinging to hope in the NL playoff race. They entered Thursday holding a 1.5-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild card.
While Stearns sought to build depth in the rotation and bullpen to navigate the long season, his plan has mostly backfired.
Sean Manaea has a 5.40 ERA and is now being used as a bulk reliever after missing more than three months with an oblique strain. Frankie Montas had a 6.28 ERA in just nine games (seven starts) before a season-ending elbow injury. Clay Holmes, who’s already thrown a career-high 155 innings after transitioning from the bullpen, has a 4.70 ERA since the All-Star break. Former All-Star Kodai Senga was demoted to Triple-A.
Even Peterson, the Mets’ one reliable starter for a majority of this season, is sputtering to the finish. He was tagged for six runs in five innings Wednesday, raising his ERA to 7.59 over his last eight outings. The 30-year-old southpaw leads the Mets with 167.1 innings pitched.
The wave of pitching struggles has forced the Mets to repeatedly dip into the minor leagues for help. That includes calling up their top three pitching prospects: Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat.
How Rare Are the Mets’ Struggles?
The Mets, of course, aren’t the only team that’s had to cycle endlessly through pitching.
The Atlanta Braves are a smidge behind the Mets with 44 pitchers used, followed by the Los Angeles Angels (41) and Diamondbacks (40). On the opposite end of the spectrum is the St. Louis Cardinals, who have used an MLB-low 24 pitchers.
With 10 games left in the regular season, the Mets rank 16th in team ERA (4.03) and 27th in quality starts (38).
Mets Set Dubious MLB Record in Loss to Padres