The Mets are calling up left-hander Tyler Jay for what would be his major league debut. Newsday’s Tim Healey tweeted last night that right-hander Dedniel Nunez was optioned back to Triple-A following yesterday’s appearance, and @JohnFromWrigley reported that Jay would be taking his 26-man roster spot. Multiple reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, have since confirmed that Jay will indeed be joining the big league club. The Mets will need to formally select Jay’s contract to the 40-man roster and make a corresponding move in order to do so.
Jay, 30 next week, was the No. 6 overall pick by the Twins back in 2015. The former University of Illinois lefty was widely regarded as one of the top pitching talents in the draft. Though there was some surprise at his coach’s decision to put Jay in the bullpen, the southpaw was viewed as a potential big league starter or fast-track reliever.
Early scouting reports at Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN and other outlets pegged him with a fastball that reached 98 mph and what BA termed “at least” a 70-grade slider. Keith Law wrote at the time that Jay had plus-plus command as well. He was ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects at BA, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN heading into the 2016 season.
As is so often the case with pitching prospects, injuries intervened. Shoulder and neck injuries plagued Jay for much of his early years in pro ball. He pitched just 11 2/3 innings in 2017 before requiring thoracic outlet surgery. Jay topped out at 83 2/3 innings in his other three seasons in the Twins’ system and was out of affiliated ball entirely by the time the 2021 season rolled around. Jay didn’t pitch at all that year and only returned to pitching in 2022 on the independent circuit, tossing 22 excellent innings for the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League.
Jay returned to the Slammers in 2023 and parlayed his stint there into a minor league look with the Mets. He yielded four runs in six Triple-A frames last year, re-signed on a minor league deal, and has opened the 2024 campaign with 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Overall, Jay has a 3.77 ERA in parts of seven minor league seasons. He’s fanned 22.5% of his opponents against an 8.3% walk rate. Whether he gets an actual chance to stick in the bullpen or is merely up for a quick cup of coffee, it’s a feel-good story for Jay, who’ll be occupying a spot on a big league roster for the first time after a nearly decade-long grind through the minors and the independent circuit.
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