New York Mets 2023 Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Tyler Stuart

The New York Mets may have a future starter on their hands in the 6-foot-9 Tyler Stuart, who had an exceptional 2023.

InsideTheMets.com will review each of the New York Mets’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 17: RHP Tyler Stuart, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A), Brookyln Cyclones (High-A)

Statistics for 2023: (21 games, all starts) 7-2, 2.20 ERA, 110.2 innings, 90 hits allowed, 30 runs (27 earned), seven home runs allowed, 32 walks, 112 strikeouts, .222 opponent batting average, 1.10 WHIP.

With Brooklyn (14 games) 4-0, 1.55 ERA, 75.2 innings, 56 hits allowed, 14 runs (13 earned), three home runs allowed, 23 walks, 84 strikeouts, .204 opponent batting average, 1.04 WHIP.

With Binghamton (seven games) 3-2, 3.60 ERA, 35 innings, 34 hits, 16 runs (14 earned), four home runs allowed, nine walks, 28 strikeouts, .258 opponent batting average, 1.23 WHIP.

Season Transactions: Started the season with Brooklyn. Promoted to Binghamton on July 14. Moved to 7-day injured list on Aug. 29. Activated from injured list on Sept. 28.

Season Summary: This was Stuart’s first full year of pro baseball and he just had an exceptional start at High-A Brooklyn, where the 6-foot-9 right-hander went undefeated, kept his ERA under 2.00 and had a great strikeout-to-walk ratio. Batters hit barely .200 against him. He was promotion-worthy when he went to Binghamton, and while his ERA went up with the Rumble Ponies and he was only 3-2, the numbers that matter in development — the strikeout-to-walk ration and the WHIP — held steady until he got hurt in August.

Path Through the Organization: He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and then missed baseball entirely in 2020 due to COVID-19. With Southern Miss he managed to play his way into a sixth-round selection by the Mets, which only cost New York $220,00 in bonus money. With the Golden Eagles, he was more of a reliever and the Mets quickly moved him into a starting role. At one point in 2023, his ERA led the minor leagues.

What’s next: The Mets have to look at Stuart with hope that he can emerge as a starter at the MLB level one day. His pitch mix is going to be key to whether that happens. He uses his slider and fastball at high rates, with the slider coming in at the low-80s with some sweeping action. He’s working on a sinker that can hit the 90s, per MLB.com, and if he can master that pitch he has a chance to get to the Majors as a starter. Even if he can’t get that third pitch to click, with two quality pitches he can move back into a relief role and contribute at some point. With his great performance in 2023, he’s put himself on the clock for 2025, which is when the Mets have targeted contending again.

2023 New York Mets Top 30 Prospect Wraps:

No. 30: Kade Morris | No. 29 Coleman Crow | No. 28 Nick Morabito | No. 27 Matt Rudick | No. 26: Joel Diaz | No. 25: Raimon Gomez | No. 24: Diego Mosquera | No. 23: Nolan McLean | No. 22: Jeremiah Jackson | No. 21: Luis R. Rodriguez | No. 20: Ronald Hernandez | No. 19: Calvin Ziegler | No. 18: Jesus Baez |