Bryce Montes de Oca Making Case for Spot in New York Mets Bullpen
There's definitely a chance.
Relief pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca has had a strong spring thus far and is making a serious case to crack the Mets' Opening Day bullpen.
On Thursday, Montes de Oca was impressive again, mowing down Team Venezuela on just 12 pitches. He picked up two strikeouts in his inning of work as well.
Standing at 6 foot 7, Montes de Oca has a unique delivery and arm angle, which has helped him be effective against hitters. He also throws a sinker between 99-101 mph, which complements his cutter that sits between 93-96 mph.
So far in Grapefruit League play, the righty has thrown two scoreless appearances with four strikeouts.
Last season, Montes de Oca was called up to make his Major League debut in the end of the season. He allowed four runs in a total of 3.1 innings.
However, he did pitch to a 3.33 ERA with 80 strikeouts across 51.1 innings between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse last year.
The stuff is there for Montes de Oca, the 26-year-old just needs to refine his command (38 walks in 51 innings in 2022). He also must stay healthy, as injuries have plagued him in his minor league career.
Should the Mets choose to give Montes de Oca a spot on the Opening Day roster, he does have options and can be sent back to the minor leagues at any point, which gives GM Billy Eppler some wiggle room to maneuver his club.
Time will tell whether Montes de Oca makes the Mets' bullpen out of camp, but he is certainly making a strong case for a spot given his impressive showing thus far in Grapefruit League play.
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