Mets are at risk of losing top pitching prospects for nothing

The Mets made a decision on Tuesday that could impact the futures of a pair of top prospects in their system.
New York didn’t add any players to their 40-man roster, leaving several players, including right-handers Mike Vasil and Dom Hamel vulnerable in the Rule 5 Draft. These players could be wearing different uniforms next season with the Mets getting nothing in return.
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While both pitchers had down seasons in 2024, they still have enough promise to be included in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Mets’ prospects.
The Mets’ No. 15 prospect, Hamel, wasn’t good last season, posting career worst in, most notably, in ERA (6.86), walks (77) and hits allowed (141). He did strikeout 124 batters over 124 2/3 innings, keeping his strikeout percentage strong at 21.3%, but still low compared to his past performance — he was closer to 30% in his previous two seasons.
Hamel is just one season removed from posting a 3.85 ERA, striking out 160 batters over 124 innings. That is the most strikeouts by a Mets minor leaguer since 2018 and the second-most in the Eastern League that season.
In 2022, he was named the Mets’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 10-3 with a 3.25 ERA with 145 strikeouts over 119 innings.
Vasil, the team’s No. 18 prospect, has the makeup of a big-league pitcher, he just hasn’t been able to execute like one yet. He features a four-pitch mix including a slider, sweeper, change up and a four-seamer that tops out in the high 90s.
The Mets saw promise in him at the end of last season, extending him an invitation to spring training, where he got to rub elbows with experienced big-league pitchers.
Unfortunately, that didn’t rub off, as Vasil struggled this season in his second go-around in Triple-A. That’s where in 29 games (27 starts), he posted an 8-10 record with a 6.04 ERA.
Vasil fell victim to a diminishing strikeout percentage, 17.9% in Triple-A versus 26.4% in Double-A in 2023, and an increased hit rate. Batters 10.4 H/9 in 2024 versus 7.6 H/9 in 2023, increasing his WHIP to an unmanageable 1.545.
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Manny Gómez may be reached at [email protected].