The New York Mets may have another promising young arm approaching the major leagues, but Jonathan Santucci still has one significant obstacle to overcome before he can realistically become part of the club’s 2027 pitching plans: his control.
Santucci has quietly put together one of the more encouraging pitching seasons in the Mets’ farm system. The left-hander began the year in Double-A and quickly established himself as one of the organization’s most productive strikeout pitchers. Across 90.2 innings at that level, Santucci posted a 3.57 ERA and an excellent 3.08 FIP, showing that his overall performance was supported by more than just favorable results. His ability to miss bats consistently helped him stand out among minor-league pitchers, eventually earning him a promotion to Triple-A and recognition as an Eastern League All-Star.
Perhaps the most impressive part of his season was his strikeout production. Santucci finished the year with 163 strikeouts, a total that ranked first among all minor-league pitchers. That kind of swing-and-miss ability immediately places him on the radar as a potential future rotation option for New York. His fastball-slider-curveball combination gives him multiple ways to attack hitters, while his breaking pitches have proven particularly difficult to handle.
His move to Triple-A Syracuse was more challenging, although the relatively small sample size should be taken into consideration. Santucci threw only 34.1 innings after his promotion, and his overall numbers were not as impressive as they were in Double-A. Even so, there were encouraging signs beneath the surface. He maintained a 27.7% strikeout rate and generated a 35.0% whiff rate, numbers that placed him around the 95th percentile and demonstrated that his ability to overpower hitters had not disappeared against more advanced competition.
The biggest concern, however, was his command. Santucci has battled walks throughout the season, and that issue becomes increasingly important as he climbs the organizational ladder. He produced a 12.0% walk rate in Double-A, a figure that was manageable because of his ability to generate strikeouts and limit damage. But after reaching Triple-A, his walk rate increased to 13.5%. That is a potentially significant problem for a pitcher who could soon be facing major-league hitters.
The challenge is not simply that Santucci gives up free passes. His control problems can also force him into unfavorable situations where he has fewer opportunities to use his best pitches. When a pitcher falls behind in the count, he often has to rely on the pitch he can most consistently throw for a strike. For Santucci, that can mean turning to his fastball more frequently.
That creates another concern because his fastball has not been nearly as effective at generating swings and misses as his breaking pitches. His slider and curveball have each produced whiff rates of at least 40%, making them his most dangerous weapons. By comparison, his fastball has generated a 20.2% whiff rate and carried a .414 expected weighted on-base average against it. If Santucci cannot consistently get ahead of hitters, opponents may see more of the pitch that has been easier to attack.
The quality of contact allowed also illustrates why improving his command could be so important. Triple-A hitters produced a 9.3% barrel rate against him while averaging 90.1 mph in exit velocity. Those numbers suggest that when Santucci misses over the plate, more experienced hitters are capable of doing significant damage. Major-league hitters would likely punish those mistakes even more consistently.
For a young starting pitcher, strike-throwing is especially important. Walks increase pitch counts, extend innings and create favorable hitting situations for the opposition. They can also prevent a pitcher from working deep enough into games to provide dependable length for the rotation. A pitcher who can consistently reach five or six innings becomes far more valuable, particularly for a team trying to manage its bullpen over a long season.
That makes Santucci’s development over the offseason particularly important. The Mets do not necessarily need him to transform into a perfect strike-thrower overnight. Even a modest improvement in his ability to get ahead of hitters and locate his fastball could make his devastating slider and curveball much more effective. If he can establish strikes early in counts, he will have greater freedom to use his best swing-and-miss pitches when he needs an out.
Despite the concern, there is plenty of reason for optimism. Santucci has already demonstrated that he can miss bats at an elite level, and he has shown enough overall effectiveness to move through multiple levels of the Mets’ system during the season. His strikeout totals indicate that the raw pitching ability is there. The question now is whether he can refine the command necessary to turn that ability into consistent major-league production.
The Mets could also have an opportunity to accelerate his development. The organization is expected to have questions surrounding its rotation heading into 2027, creating a potential opening for a young pitcher who proves he is ready. New York could choose to address its pitching needs through free agency or trades, but developing an internal option such as Santucci would give the club another avenue to strengthen the rotation.
There is also an argument that some of the remaining development should eventually happen in the majors. Young pitchers often need experience against major-league hitters to fully understand how their stuff plays at the highest level. Santucci has already reached Triple-A, meaning another strong offseason could put him within striking distance of a call-up.
The Mets, therefore, have an intriguing decision ahead. If Santucci sharpens his command during the offseason, his combination of strikeout ability and high-quality breaking pitches could make him one of the organization’s most interesting internal options for 2027. If the walks continue to pile up, however, the organization may decide that he needs additional time in Triple-A before trusting him with a regular rotation role.
For now, Santucci’s path is clear. The strikeout ability is already evident, the prospect pedigree is growing, and the opportunity could be waiting in New York. The next step is simply making sure he can throw enough strikes to allow his best pitches to work consistently.
If he solves that problem, Santucci could enter 2027 not merely as another promising Mets prospect, but as a legitimate candidate to become an important piece of the major-league rotation.
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