Bullpen Tryout

On Sunday’s show, one of the featured conversations about what to look for in “extended Spring Training” over the next few weeks was how Andy Green was deploying the bullpen post-Weaver, Raley, and Brazoban. With Christian Scott getting knocked out before the fifth, yesterday was a chance for some potential 2027 solution to show what they could do against a playoff team on the road in a hostile environment. Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Kodai Senga- yes, that Senga- shut the door and gave the Mets a nice 8-5 victory down South in Atlanta.

Nate Lavender followed up on his seven outs in Cleveland with a scoreless sixth that stabilized the game after the Braves pulled to within two runs. The amazing part of Lavender is how simple his game is by throwing just fastballs, and a below-average one at that, and a slider without the elite break we are used to seeing from many on a nightly basis. His entire game is extension and deception, proving that pitching is not just about what registers on a radar gun or Trackman, but the mechanics of throwing an effective pitch. He does have two walks in three innings, living up to his MILB walk rate of 5.4 per nine, but it hasn’t stopped him from effectively managing the inning. So far, Lavender might be the most impressive young bullpen arm not only in how he does it, but also in the scoreless results.