Mets' wave of rapidly approaching pitching prospects is tantalizing — and a potential 2025 X-factor

Lots of the focus during spring training has been on what the Mets are missing from their starting rotation, and what they'll be without for the foreseeable future -- and that's fair.

The starting staff was clearly the biggest question mark ahead of the season, and is now undermanned, without Sean Manaea until mid-or late-April and without Frankie Montas until May or June.

That means added pressure for Kodai Senga (coming off a lost year due to injury), Clay Holmes (transitioning from reliever to starter and looking really good so far), and David Peterson (who has never had two good years in a row).

It also means two of the Mets' three expected depth starters from a group of Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn, and Tylor Megill being thrust into the rotation. Oh, and it also means the Mets abandoning -- for now at least -- their plan to utilize a six-man rotation, which would've helped keep Senga on a more elongated schedule and served to keep Holmes' innings down.

The above could also invite more scrutiny on the Mets' decision -- and David Stearns' philosophy -- to not give out long-term contracts to older free agent starting pitchers.

That philosophy meant that a year after pursuing 25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Mets sat out the sweepstakes for free agent pitchers Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, and Blake Snell.

Whatever one thinks of that strategy, it's impossible to argue with the fact that you can pretty much count on one hand the amount of long-term deals for starting pitchers aged 30 and older that have worked out. Zack Wheeler is one. How many more can you name?

Back to the Mets' current rotation...

Even with Manaea sidelined for a bit and Montas out longer, their powerful lineup and strong bullpen should more than offset any potential rotation shortcomings for the time being. And the team should be fine.

But the point of this article isn't about what the Mets don't have, it's about what's coming.

You never know what you're going to get until a pitcher reaches the majors and deals with the challenges and adversity that comes with it. But there's no reason to doubt what the Mets have in Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, who both possess sky-high upside.

Sproat, 24, is the No. 1 prospect on SNY contributor Joe DeMayo's new top 30 Mets prospects list. And with good reason.

In his first professional season in 2024, Sproat tore through High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton -- posting a 2.05 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 87.2 innings over 17 games. He hit a bit of a speed bump in Triple-A Syracuse, struggling in the small sample size of 28.2 innings there.

Sproat will begin the 2025 season back with Triple-A, but could reach the majors incredibly quickly if his stuff plays up there and he masters the league.

That stuff includes a high-octane fastball that can reach 100 mph, and an array of secondary pitches that includes a strong changeup.

McLean, 23, got a taste of the minors in 2023 (pitching just 3.1 innings for A-ball St. Lucie) but his first full year of professional ball was 2024. Like Sproat, he opened eyes as he posted a 3.78 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while striking out 116 batters in 109.2 innings over 25 starts.

And McLean excelled as a starting pitcher while still being a two-way player for much of last season. Now a full-time starting pitcher, McLean isn't talked about as much as Sproat, but perhaps that should change.

Want an example of why? Check out his secondary offerings that were on display earlier this week:

Nolan McLean tossed three scoreless innings in a minor-league game yesterday 💪

(via @MetsPlayerDev) pic.twitter.com/7STq95c6Fd

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 12, 2025

Along with his filthy sweeper and a high-octane fastball that McLean relies heavily on, he also features a changeup, curve, and cutter.

You don't have to squint too hard to envision a Mets rotation that adds Sproat to it in June and has McLean in it at some point during the second half of the season.

But that's not where the pipeline of young arms stops.

There's also Blade Tidwell, who fired an immaculate inning earlier this spring. Tidwell, who struggled after reaching Triple-A last season, could possibly wind up as a high-leverage reliever, as DeMayo noted in his recent top 30. But there's also a chance Tidwell finds it as a starter. Either way, he could contribute in the majors this season.

Also getting close is Jonah Tong, who will begin this year back with Double-A Binghamton and has a big league ETA of 2026.

Another pitcher who could make an impact in 2026 is Christian Scott, who recently started throwing as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. And Scott should be a full-go next season.

After reaching the Mets last May, Scott's stuff overpowered hitters at times, with him showing glimpses of being someone who could eventually pitch near the top of a rotation.

Put it all together, and it's tantalizing to think about what the Mets' big league starting pitching situation could look like sooner rather than later.