Jonathan Santucci Looks Like Mets’ Next Big Thing

If the present doesn't have much to offer, at least the New York Mets’ future looks bright, popping with up-and-coming talent who could have an impact on the big-league club soon. Left-handed pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci is no exception to the rule, as he’s been playing some of his best baseball lately. Let’s break down Santucci’s latest numbers and his long-term projection within the Mets organization.

Jonathan Santucci's Updated Scouting Mets Scouting Report

Santucci is a left-handed pitching prospect and rides in as the team’s ninth-ranked prospect per Grand Central Mets. The Mets called his name in the second round of the 2024 draft after the southpaw’s successful campaign with the Blue Devils.

He entered the professional ranks just last season, working his way all the way up to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies’ roster by the middle of July. He dazzled with the team’s Double-A affiliate, spinning a 2.52 earned run average with a strikeout rate north of 32 percent down the home stretch of his season.

Santucci's 2026 So Far

While he may hold a losing record to start this season out, the Mets’ highly touted farmhand has looked sharp in his recent outings. In his most recent start on June 6, lefty spun a career-best 6.2 innings of one-run ball. He allowed just three hits, gave up a pair of free passes and fanned five on the evening. Santucci notably took a no-hitter into the sixth inning en route to his first win of the 2026 season.

Over his last two starts, he’s allowed just a single earned run on six hits in 11.2 innings. Santucci has 10 punchouts to only three walks in that span. He also has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his last seven starts for Binghamton. 

Santucci's Strengths

The lefty hurler’s slider leads the charge, as his glove-side-biting breaking pitch has a 60-grade on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. This is a two-plane breaking ball that tunnels very well off of his fastball, and he’s able to give hitters from both sides of the plate absolute fits with it.

His four-seamer, a 55-grade heater which does a lot of the heavy-lifting to set up his slide piece, rides in between 92-95 miles per hour and can touch 97. Santucci releases the baseball from a high point and is able to get plenty of carry into the upper regions of the strike zone. While Santucci also possesses a changeup, it grades out around average, as he doesn’t lean on it a ton in-game. 

Santucci's Weaknesses

Therein lies one of Santucci’s weakness. While the southpaw has fooled hitters with a slider and is currently sporting an impressive .219 batting average against over his first 170.1 innings of professional baseball, operating with a two-pitch arsenal can only get a pitcher so far. For somebody who plans on operating as a rotation piece (he’s started 34 of his 36 appearances), he’ll need more than a two-pitch combo to get through an order multiple times. 

Santucci also gets a case of the walks from time to time, as shown by his 50-grade control tool. He just recently escaped a stretch where he walked at least two hitters in four straight games, including a six-walk performance back on May 2. Overall, his stuff plays well enough for him to live in the strike zone and even get away with the occasional mistake. Now, it’s just about in-zone consistency for the rising lefty. 

Future Role With Mets

What will Santucci’s role be, and when will he ultimately break into the big leagues? He’s tracking towards being a middle-of-the-rotation starter, especially considering that his slider has continued to serve as a true out-pitch even as he’s ascended up the minor-league ladder. The next question becomes which pitch, whether it’s a fledgling curveball or his changeup, will earn a more consistent spot in his arsenal. 

MLB Pipeline projects that Santucci will break into the big leagues by the end of the 2026 season, and his pitch variety could play a pivotal role in ensuring that comes true.

Interested in learning more about the New York Mets' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!