Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away.
“Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
In recent years, Mets officials have done well to reverse their reputation as an organization that struggles to develop relief pitchers. The recent emergences of José Buttó and Dedniel Núñez provided evidence to that end, while the Mets similarly jumpstarted the careers of relievers from outside the organization, like Reed Garrett and Danny Young.
In Lambert, they hope to take the express route toward developing another bullpen gem. During his college years, Lambert was exclusively a relief pitcher, averaging less than an inning per appearance. His fastball sat in the upper 90s at Oklahoma and ran as hot as 102 mph during a game against Wichita State. Lambert lives for that sort of thing.
“I’m an adrenaline guy,” he said before Sunday’s 5-1 Spring Breakout victory over a group of Nationals prospects. “I love big situations. I think that brings the best out of you when you feel really nervous. You harness that energy and you never know what can happen. So who knows what I’ll touch here in the future?”
Mets prospect Ryan Lambert once drank THIRTY raw eggs per day for a month as he worked to bulk up 🥚 @PSLtoFlushing @SteveGelbs @JimDuquetteGM pic.twitter.com/gpN0AhT1eo
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 16, 2025
Lambert’s actual performance in Spring Breakout showcased both his bigtime velocity -- he hit 97 mph on multiple occasions -- as well as his present-day flaws. In an admittedly small college sample size, Lambert walked 7.3 batters per nine innings. Big, hard-throwing pitchers like him can struggle to repeat their mechanics.
Since turning pro, Lambert has worked on fine-tuning his delivery, but he struggled Sunday in walking two batters, giving up three stolen bases and allowing one run.
“For him, it’s strikes,” Mets senior vice president of player development Andy Green said. “The heater really rides. It’s a unique pitch profile. He can spin it in the zone with a slider. It’s kind of a classic reliever, two-pitch mix that might turn into something a little bit more in time. But if he fills up the strike zone, his stuff is going to play.”
Mets prospect Ryan Lambert says that he threw a 102 MPH fastball last year at Oklahoma:
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 16, 2025
"I'm an adrenaline guy. I love big situations." pic.twitter.com/sIOetPzHDd
When teams draft college relievers, the first question tends to be how quickly they might arrive in the Majors. Such players tend to be older -- Lambert will turn 23 before this season ends -- and more physically mature than other draftees. They’re typically experienced against advanced competition and, because relievers don’t need robust pitch mixes to succeed at the highest level, they generally require less development time than starters.
Lambert checks all those boxes as a player who could reach the Majors soon -- perhaps even as soon as this season if everything goes right. Admittedly, Lambert sometimes allows his mind to wander to those places, though he understands how much work still stands between him and his debut.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about that stuff, but that’s where I just go one day at a time,” Lambert said. “I trust myself, and I trust the Mets, and I believe I’ll be up there sooner than later.”
📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE BASEBALL TRAVELER NEWSLETTER
Back to Tobacco Road
Jonathan Santucci, the organization’s 13th-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) and their top left-handed pitching prospect, returned to campus last autumn after the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2024 Draft. Back at Duke, Santucci was in the same documentary studies class as basketball star Cooper Flagg. He’s now one class shy of having enough credits to graduate.
Many elite college prospects like Santucci, who are drafted after their junior seasons, never earn their degrees. Santucci, who is majoring in sociology with a certificate in markets and management, plans to take an online course to complete his.
“Growing up, academics were just as important as baseball,” Santucci said. “I feel like I always worked just as hard in school as I did in sports, so I think that’s really important to finish that off -- the icing on the cake.”
Santucci threw a scoreless inning in Spring Breakout.
Muscling up
Another 2024 Mets draftee, 23rd-ranked prospect Eli Serrano III, packed 15 pounds of muscle onto his 6-foot-5 frame this winter, learning nutrition and weight training techniques at a team-sponsored strength camp. He’s up to around 210 pounds, which club officials believe will help him survive the grind of professional baseball.
“It’s almost another job, I’d say, just getting stronger,” Serrano said. “You’ve got to play baseball, but you’ve got to be able to go out there and be able to play 140 games every year, so you’ve got to be strong enough to do that.”
Drafted as a center fielder, Serrano is likely to end up in a corner, where his increased bulk would not be a hindrance. He started in left field in Spring Breakout.
My name is Jonah
Jonah Tong’s reward for a breakout 2024 season was a Spring Breakout start. The lanky right-hander, who has drawn Tim Lincecum comps, struck out three over two scoreless innings, hitting 97 mph on the stadium radar gun.
Last year, Tong jumped multiple Minor League levels from Single-A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton, going from unranked on MLB Pipeline to No. 6 on this year’s Mets list.
“Probably not how I originally imagined,” Tong said of his 2024 season, which included a 3.03 ERA across three levels. “I spent a lot of time in a lot of different places, but I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”
More than a feeling
The early offensive star of Spring Breakout was Boston Baro, the Mets’ 14th-ranked prospect, who hit a left-on-left, opposite-field homer off Nationals starter Alex Clemmey.
Not to be outdone was fourth-ranked Ryan Clifford, who added a deep homer more than halfway up the batter’s eye in straightaway center. On the social media site X, the Mets’ official player development account estimated the home-run distance at 449 feet.
Senior Reporter Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007.
Phillies Prospects Shine at BayCare Ballpark in Exhibition Win
CLEARWATER, FL – For the first time in 2025, Phillies prospects and the Threshers coaching staff took the field at BayCare Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon for a scrimmage with a group of Tigers prospects potentially ticketed for Lakeland. The Tigers scored all of their runs via the home run, but
Phillies Prospects Test Phillies All-Star in Sim Game
CLEARWATER, FL – With the final day of Spring Training upon us, Cristopher Sánchez prepared for his first start of the regular season with a five-inning simulated game at the Carpenter Complex on Monday morning. The 2024 All-Star lefty looked great against a host of Phillies minor leaguers in preparation
Owusu-Asiedu Drives in Two as Phillies Prospects Take Close Win
CLEARWATER, FL – Minor League exhibition games continued on Thursday at the Carpenter Complex. Marty Malloy managed a group of Phillies prospects to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. The Phillies minor league squads will face the Yankees in Tampa when Spring Training continues on
DeMartini Delivers Go-Ahead Homer in Spring Breakout Victory
WP: Casey Steward (1-0, 0.00) LP: Wilbur Dotel (0-1, 9.00) SV: Aaron Combs (1) BOX SCORE: CLEARWATER, FL – With five of the seven hits for the Philadelphia Phillies Prospects going for extra-bases, including a go-ahead home run, the Phillies farmhands never trailed and earned their first ever Spring Breakout
Phillies Blanked by Blue Jays in Minor League Spring Opener
CLEARWATER, FL – With Spring Training in full bloom, the Phillies’ minor leaguers got their first opportunity to play against an opposing team in 2025. Unfortunately, Marty Malloy’s group fell 3-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays prospects at the Carpenter Complex on Thursday afternoon. The team featured a starting lineup
Phillies Announce 2025 Spring Breakout Roster
CLEARWATER, FL - For the second straight season, each MLB team will select a team comprised of their top prospects to compete against another organization for the second annual Spring Breakout Game. This year, the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, March 14, at BayCare Ballpark. First
Defensive Focus on Day Three of Camp
CLEARWATER, FL - With the big league club on the road, the Phillies minor leaguers had a shortened day of drills on their third day of camp. Hitting was inside due to weather, but pitching and defense continued to be the focus of the early days at the Carpenter Complex.
Exhibition Games Begin at Carpenter Complex
CLEARWATER, FL - For the first time in 2025, the Phillies major and minor leaguers were playing games at the same time, with Threshers Skipper Marty Malloy at the helm of the away team in the first Phillies Intrasquad Game of Spring Training at the Carpenter complex. Each team managed
Phillies Minor Leaguers Start Spring Training
CLEARWATER, FL - With Spring Training well underway at BayCare Ballpark, the Carpenter Complex is starting to liven up even more, as Minor League Spring Training for all Phillies farmhands began on Monday afternoon. Some players are coming to the states to play for the first time, and all are
Clearwater Threshers Announce 2025 Coaching Staff
With the minor league season on the horizon, the Philadelphia Phillies have announced the 2025 Field Staff for the Clearwater Threshers. The reigning FSL West First Half Champions return three members of their 2024 coaching staff, including manager Marty Malloy for his fifth year at the helm. Pitching coach Tyler
Threshers Release 2025 Game Schedule
CLEARWATER, FL. - The Clearwater Threshers, proud Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies and back-to-back Florida State League West Division First-Half Champions, have announced their 2025 schedule with game times. The quest for a third-straight playoff spot begins on the night of Tuesday, April 8th, and concludes with a noon
Threshers Announce 2025 Promotional Calendar
The Clearwater Threshers have announced the full promotional schedule for the 2025 Florida State League season. This summer at BayCare Ballpark is full of fireworks, giveaways, concerts, theme nights, and Beach Dogs. Buy Threshers Tickets Fans can look forward to the return of Dollar Tuesday presented by Top Notch Pest
Job Fairs for 2025 Phillies Spring and Threshers Summer Seasons
Philadelphia Phillies Florida Operations is holding multiple Food and Beverage job fairs in January to hire reliable, positive, seasonal gameday staff for the 2025 Phillies Spring Training and Threshers summer seasons. Food and Beverage positions to be filled include stand lead, cook, warehouse runner, cashiers, food runner, and suites runner.
Threshers Anthony wins 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence have been announced by Minor League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company and Threshers infielder Keaton Anthony was named the recipient for the first-base position. From the MiLB news release: "Phillies first baseman Keaton Anthony recorded 593 total
Trio of Threshers Named Florida State League All-Stars
Three members of the Clearwater Threshers earned a nomination to the Florida State League All-Stars. Infielder Devin Saltiban, Outfielder Jordan Viars, and Right-Handed Pitcher George Klassen were the Three who earned a spot on the All-Star Team. All three were on the Thresher's Opening Day roster, with Saltiban remaining a
Threshers Knocked out of Playoffs in 6-1 Defeat
WP: Gabriel Reyes (1-0, 1.50) LP: Titan Hayes (0-1, 81.00) BOX SCORE CLEARWATER, FL – Carson DeMartini gave the Clearwater Threshers (64-63, 0-2) lead in the fourth, but the Lakeland Flying Tigers (80-50, 2-0) scored the final six runs to take a 6-1 win and knock the Threshers out of
Pitcher’s Duel Sends Threshers Home with Loss
WP: Rayner Castillo (1-0, 1.50) LP: Reese Dutton (0-1, 0.00) SV: Micah Ashman (1) BOX SCORE LAKELAND, FL – Three pitchers from the Clearwater Threshers (64-63, 0-1) combined to allow three hits, but the Lakeland Flying Tigers (80-50, 1-0) allowed one as they took down the Threshers 2-1 in game
Owusu-Asiedu Ends Regular Season with Walkoff Home Run
WP: Josh Bortka (4-2, 5.90) LP: Joseph Yabbour (1-1, BS (1), 8.24) BOX SCORE CLEARWATER, FL – Entering the tenth inning down a run, the Clearwater Threshers (64-63, 21-40) scored four runs, including a walkoff home run by Avery Owusu-Asiedu, in the bottom of the tenth to earn a 10-7
Threshers Get Two Hits in Shutout Loss
WP: Dylan Ross (1-0, 0.00) LP: A.J. Wilson (0-1, 3.86) SV: Christian Rodriguez (1) BOX SCORE CLEARWATER, FL – Two hits from Carson DeMartini provide all the offense for the Clearwater Threshers (63-63, 20-40) as they fall 6-0 in a shutout loss to the St. Lucie Mets (45-83, 23-39) on