Seven New York Mets minor league arms to watch in 2025

The New York Mets' farm system has some more than solid arms in the starting pitching department that the player development side has done an excellent job with over the past few seasons. Not every hurler is an under the radar pitcher, but there are a few names that have forced themselves into the conversation, which we will get into in this piece.

Led by vice president of pitching Eric Jagers, as well as player development heads Andy Green and Andrew Christie, the Mets are hoping to mold the next wave of big-league arms that will enter their rotation in the coming seasons.

Let's dive into who the hottest names are, with some known and some unknown, in the Mets' farm system.

1. Brandon Sproat, RHP [No. 1 ranked prospect Mets prospect]

You've certainly heard the name by now; Brandon Sproat is the king of the castle as the No. 1 ranked prospect and pitcher in the Mets' farm system. Sproat's fastball that reached 102 mph on the radar gun is a dream for any major league staff.

The right-hander will be 25-years-old in September and all he needs to do is dominate for a brief period in Triple-A Syracuse before he gets his first MLB call-up. Sproat is getting close to the majors and could emerge as a frontline starter for the Mets as early as this season.

David Stearns on Brandon Sproat:

"We want to see him have significant success at the Triple-A level, I think he wants to prove he can do that as well. Once we see that, we can start talking about when is the right time at the major league level" pic.twitter.com/pQIo4sy5Dp
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 6, 2025

2. Nolan McLean, RHP [No. 5 ranked prospect]

Nolan McLean has soared up the hype board this spring, showing off a nasty arsenal with deceptive horizontal and vertical break on his secondary pitches. McLean was once a two-way player, but will focus on just pitching as of this season. Rightfully so, as he has been turning heads so far in camp. The 23-year-old McLean could start the year in Double-A again after making 18 starts there a season ago.

Looks like Nolan McLean is throwing a wiffle ball #Mets
pic.twitter.com/xpSPDfg1x7
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) March 12, 2025

3. Jonah Tong, RHP [No. 6 ranked Mets prospect]

Jonah Tong, a 21-year-old right-hander, had a strong 2024 campaign, where he posted a 3.03 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 160 strikeouts across 113 innings (25 appearances, 23 starts). Tong finished his year by making his final two starts for Double-A Binghamton, which is where he will likely begin his 2025 season.

Tong started the Mets' Spring Breakout game on Sunday and notched two scoreless innings. He throws a 96-97 mph fastball, has a curveball and hard cutter/changeup. Tong is now the Mets' No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and could make his way to the majors by 2026 if he remains on track.

Six of the @Mets' seven strike outs in #SpringBreakout came from the hands 3️⃣ #MLBDraftLeague alums!

Jonah Tong (@FrederickKeys '22): 2 IP, 3 K, H, 0 R, 2 BB
Jonathan Pintaro (FRE '21+'22): 1 IP, K, 3 H, 0 R
Ryan Lambert (@WVBlackbears '24): 1 IP, 2 K, H, ER, 2 BB pic.twitter.com/HaMQ8trpRT
— MLB Draft League (@mlbdraftleague) March 17, 2025

4. Blade Tidwell, RHP [No. 16 ranked prospect]

Blade Tidwell has impressed in spring training this year. At one point, there had been whispers that Tidwell might be better suited as a reliever, not to mention he struggled with 53 walks in 85 innings for Syracuse last year.

That said, Tidwell's command and velocity (99 mph fastball) have been on point in camp this spring. Tidwell is a starter and has shown enough promise to be considered a part of the Mets' long-term plan. He will reside in Triple-A once the 2025 minor league season kicks off.

5. Jonathan Santucci, LHP [No. 13 ranked prospect]

Jonathan Santucci was drafted by the Mets at No. 46 overall in the second-round of last year's MLB Draft out of Duke University. The 22-year-old left-hander's stuff has been described by team officials as "absolutely disgusting." Santucci's fastball sits at 95-96 mph; he also has a hard slider and curveball that he can spot up. His changeup is a great pitch that he can utilize to get righties out.

6. Jonathan Pintaro, RHP [No. 24 ranked prospect]

Jonathan Pintaro is a name you might not know yet, but he has been receiving rave reviews all winter from inside and outside the organization. A big, sturdy righty who throws 97-98 mph, both four-seam and two-seam, has a good hard cutter and improving changeup as well as a nasty sweeper. Pintaro was signed out of the Pioneer League by Mets pro scout Jaymie Bane. He is 27-years-old, but his video and data are said to be off the charts.

Pintaro, who pitched multiple innings in the breakout game on Sunday, had an impressive 2.68 ERA across 74 innings (17 appearances, 15 starts) and three levels of the minors last year. He could contribute to the Mets' big-league pitching staff very soon if he performs well to start the campaign.

The Mets number #24 Prospect Jonathan Pintaro has a ETA of 2025, he had a really successful campaign in AA and AAA, posting a 2.68 ERA in 74 Innings along with 75 Strikeouts. Someone to keep an eye on this year. pic.twitter.com/JIr1slBsmj
— Nathan Sellar (@NYMNathan) March 3, 2025

7. Will Watson, RHP [Unranked prospect]

Will Watson is another name you probably haven't heard of just quite yet. The 2024 seventh-round draft pick is a wiry, quick twitch athlete who started his college career as a shortstop. His four-seam fastball sits in the mid 90s with quality ride that plays well with a relatively low release height. He can also hold his stuff well deep in games.

Watson has a quality changeup that is his most consistent secondary pitch. As for the slider, it shows potential but is inconsistent, however, he has shown big improvement with it this spring going to more of a sweeper. Watson has average command but fields his position extremely well.

Watson, 22, spent his 2024 season with University of Southern California, where he logged 50.1 innings and a 3.93 ERA in nine starts and 16 appearances. After getting drafted by the Mets last summer, the righty threw 2.2 innings for Single-A St. Lucie as well.