Recently Promoted Hurler An Arm To Watch In Mets' Bullpen

The New York native pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

If the New York Mets want to turn around their fortunes in 2023, the pitching staff will need to play a key role.

For a bullpen that has been banged up and overall yielded underwhelming results, any sliver of success should be welcomed.

That’s why Josh Walker’s performance on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates is worth keeping tabs on.

The 28-year-old southpaw made his MLB debut last month and logged a scoreless frame when the Tampa Bay Rays visited Citi Field.

In his second stint with the big league club, he threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and recorded his first career strikeout against power bat Jack Suwinski in the process.

Mets manager Buck Showalter called Walker’s performance a “good surprise” after the game.

“That was good for him to come into that situation,” Showalter said. “Hopefully that bodes well for his confidence in those situations going forward.”

Walker is an Orange County native who attended Minisink Valley High School, about two hours from Citi Field.

After two years at the University of South Florida, Walker transferred to the University of New Haven to wrap up his college career.

After his senior season, he was selected by the Mets in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB draft.

Climbing through the ranks since being drafted, Walker flashed a 0.68 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse to kick this season off which earned him a spot on the 40-man roster and ultimately a promotion.

New York can use all the pitching help they can get, and if they’ve found a diamond in the rough with Walker, it would be a much-welcomed addition.