New York Mets lead minor leagues in these pitching stats

According to MLB Pipeline 's updated rankings, five of the Mets' top 15 prospects are starting pitchers. Right-handers Brandon Sproat (No. 2), Nolan McLean (No. 6), and Blade Tidwell (No. 15) are all in Triple-A, Jonah Tong (No. 4) is in Double-A, and left-hander Jonathan Santucci (No. 12) began his professional career in High-A after being drafted 46th overall in 2024.

Early this season, Tong and McLean have been the standouts from that group. The 21-year-old Tong has posted a 2.37 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through eight starts with Binghamton. He owns the highest strikeout percentage (42.2%) of any Double-A arm with at least 30 innings pitched.

McLean, who began the year with Tong in Binghamton, earned a promotion to Triple-A in early May after posting a 1.37 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over his first 26.1 innings. The 23-year-old has not slowed down since joining Syracuse, registering a 2.00 ERA with an almost identical WHIP and 17 strikeouts across three starts.

The top-ranked Sproat, who was viewed as a call-up candidate amid early-season injuries, has struggled to adjust to the Triple-A level. Through 10 starts, the Mets' top-ranked pitching prospect is 1-4 with a 6.53 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 6.8 K/9 rate. He posted similar numbers in his final seven starts of the 2024 season after dominating hitters in High-A and Double-A.

Fortunately for New York, there is no need to rush the 24-year-old's development. The Mets' rotation has excelled in the absence of veterans Paul Blackburn, Frankie Montas, and Sean Manaea, all of whom are inching closer to a return from the injured list.

Read More: How Mets’ Frankie Montas fared in first rehab start

Entering Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox, the Mets' major league pitching staff had combined for an MLB-best 2.78 ERA. They have also allowed fewer home runs (34) than any team in baseball. The next closest are the San Francisco Giants (40), while the Baltimore Orioles have yielded an MLB-high 84.