Inside The Mets

Mets' pitching lab results on display in spring training

The New York Mets' mysterious pitching lab is building intrigue with the performance of the staff in spring training.

Ezra Lombardi

Feb 15, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Griffin Canning (46) plays catch during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 15, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Griffin Canning (46) plays catch during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets have taken a unique approach to building their bullpen and starting rotation. Rather than spending big on free agents or trading prospects to land an ace, the Mets have invested in data and development in the form of their mysterious pitching lab.

The pitching lab opened in June of 2023 at the Mets' spring training facility, with the purpose of uncovering crucial data and developing off-season training programs. Many saw this as the ball club looking to catch up in an era where teams have invested massively in analytics. Despite key injuries in the unit, the Mets currently have the lowest team ERA through spring training.

Griffin Canning, an outspoken supporter of the lab, has been stellar in spring training and is a real candidate to join the rotation.

Read More: New York Mets rotation candidate dazzles in spring start

Canning, who boasts a 0.90 ERA this spring, signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Mets this offseason. According to Canning, his decision was informed by the team's unique technology.

While on a Zoom call with team officials, Canning learned about the KinaTrax technology that the team utilizes inside the pitching lab. KinaTrax allows the pitcher and staff to map a "three-dimensional skeleton" of their delivery instead of just using video. According to Canning, this conversation "intrigued" him and was one of the factors that led him to sign with the team.

In an interview with Mike Puma and the New York Post, Canning said it would be "stupid not to use" the lab.

Canning, who calls himself a "delivery guy," knew he needed to go somewhere that prioritized mechanics and knew how to apply the lab's data practically. Canning spoke with Puma about the importance of using technology to get better, but added that it "also matters the guys that are running it and dissecting it and boil it down for you in a simple way you can understand it.”

After spending the 2024 season with the Angels, with whom he went 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA and gave up the second most home runs in the league, Canning looked to New York for a fresh start. Last season, Sean Manaea came to the Mets under similar circumstances and experienced a notable turnaround.

After opting out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants and joining the Mets, Manaea cut his ERA down from 4.44 in 2023 to 3.47 in 2024. He also upped his WAR from 0.2 to 3.0 and finished 11th in NL Cy Young voting.

What's especially interesting about Manaea's career resurgence is that it came after a significant change to his delivery. The southpaw tweaked his arm slot, dropping it even lower than his normal sidearm release. Before the change on July 30th, Manaea had an ERA of 3.74; from that moment until the end of the season, it was a 3.09 mark.

While Canning's improvements have been the most evident thus far, many Mets pitching prospects are committed to building their training habits around the pitching lab. Christian Scott, Grant Hartwig, Dom Hamel, and Drew Smith have all spoken about the benefits of the lab to their training development.

The introduction of the lab is evidence of a shift in philosophy in the Mets front office. Rather than making a splash in free agency on pitching, David Stearns has identified potential in guys like Manaea, Canning, and Frankie Montas, with the hope that an emphasis on data-driven development will encourage growth.

If Canning pans out this season the way Manaea did in 2024, the Mets' pitching lab will be central to the story. With Manaea and Montas working back from injuries to start the season, it is expected that we will learn about Canning and what he could be for the Mets very early on.

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Ezra Lombardi
EZRA LOMBARDI

Ezra Lombardi is a contributing writer for the Mets On SI site. He has previously written for The Lead and the Hamilton College Spectator. He graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and played football. You can follow him on Twitter @LombardiEzra

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