It was another productive day at spring training for the Mets, who are now less than a week away from Opening Day following a 10-3 blowout win over the Washington Nationals.
Before and after the game, manager Carlos Mendoza shined a light on some of the things he and the rest of the coaching staff are seeing from players on the team as final roster cuts begin to loom.
Reliever on the rise
Max Kranick has been perhaps the most surprising pitcher at camp this year as the 27-year-old has dominated opposing hitters whenever he’s been on the mound. That continued on Thursday night when the right-hander struck out two batters in his two scoreless innings of work, throwing 19 pitches and 11 strikes.
It was the third time Kranick pitched two innings so far in spring training, but the first time since Feb. 27. In fact, in all but one outing this year Kranick has recorded more than three outs, showing he’s capable of being a multi-inning reliever which is of great value in a modern-day bullpen with starters no longer asked to pitch deep into games.
“[Kranick’s] a guy that is a multiple inning guy,” Mendoza said. “… [He] attacked the strike zone [on Thursday], slider was good, life on the fastball, continues to throw strikes and that’s what you want out of a guy like that that is capable of going multiple innings.”
Kranick’s ascension as a bullpen arm has been surprising because of his lack of MLB experience and because he hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even then, he only pitched five innings that year before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Since then, Kranick was designated for assignment by the Pirates in January 2024 and claimed off waivers by the Mets a week later. And while he didn’t make the team out of spring training (started the season on the IL), Kranick pitched well in Triple-A with a 3.57 ERA (1.22 WHIP) in 63 innings across 41 appearances.
With a fastball that can reach the upper 90s and a devastating slider that he can also throw for strikes (one walk in 11.1 innings), New York hopes Kranick can be its secret weapon this year.
Luis Torrens — good hitter
With the injury to Francisco Alvarez landing him on the IL to begin the season, the Mets will start the year with Torrens as their starting catcher. Known more for his defense — especially his throwing arm — Torrens showed New York he was capable with the bat as well at times. While it’s not necessary for a backup catcher to be an offensive juggernaut, Torrens will have to step up like he did in 2024 while Alvarez is on the shelf.
On Thursday, the 28-year-old went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored in the heart of the Mets lineup.
“He’s a good hitter. We saw flashes last year, especially when he first came up and got the opportunity to play,” Mendoza said. “This is a guy that can drive the baseball, knows what pitchers are trying to do in certain situations. He’s going to get an opportunity here and like I said, he’s a good player.”
For his career, Torrens has slashed .227/.289/.356 with 22 home runs in 850 at-bats. If New York can get some pop out of Torrens along with great defense before Alvarez gets back, it should be fine, especially with so much firepower elsewhere in the lineup.
Starting rotation battle
The Mets still haven’t unveiled their full starting rotation with a couple of spots still up for grabs and three pitchers — Tylor Megill, Paul Blackbun and Griffin Canning — vying for them.
All three pitchers have had strong moments during camp and Mendoza is pleased with how they are throwing the ball, as well as how they are recovering.
Asked if Megill has an inside track to make the Opening Day roster, the skipper wouldn’t tip his hand.
“He’s in the mix, he’s in the conversation,” Mendoza said. “Those three guys that we’re talking about, they’ve been throwing the ball really well, Megill being one of them. And that’s why this decision is not as easy as people think.
“You can make a case for Megill, you can make a case for Blackburn, you can make a case for Griffin [Canning]. All three of them are throwing the ball really well, they’re recovering well so that’s why we want to wait here and see what we’ve got.”
Despite having the least amount of experience in the majors out of the three options, Megill has experience with New York, debuting with the Mets in 2021 and having varying amounts of success. The right-hander has looked good in Grapefruit League action, owning a 3.86 ERA (1.03 WHIP) with 13 strikeouts over 11.2 innings in three starts.
It’s Canning, though, who’s been the most impressive in camp with his 0.90 ERA (0.80 WHIP) and 16 strikeouts in 10 innings so far. A former second-round pick, Canning signed with the Mets on a one-year, $4.25 million contract during the offseason after spending five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
In his career, the 28-year-old is 25-34 with a 4.78 ERA (1.33 WHIP).
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