Close to majors, Mets pitching prospect Mike Vasil benefiting from team's new pitching lab

When Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns talks about giving runway to young talent, we often correlate that to opportunities for Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to establish themselves as part of the future of the lineup.

However, it's also important to include prospects not ticketed for the Opening Day roster, but who the Mets will want to get a look at to find out if they are a factor for the 2025 team.

In 2024, the starting pitching depth has familiar names like Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and José Butto as well as newcomer Max Kranick. But the minor league system is at the point where young pitchers are on the verge of making an impact at the big league level.

Those prospects will be able to make their case to be a part of the 2025 rotation, which as of now could have as many as four openings with the pending free agencies of Luis Severino, José Quintana, Adrian Houser and possibly Sean Manaea -- who has an opt out after 2024.

One of those prospects is Mike Vasil, who made it to the Triple-A level in 2023 and recognizes the opportunity in front of him. "Obviously it is a little bit different than your first season," Vasil told SNY. "The reality is it’s a lot closer than year’s past."

After posting a 3.71 ERA in 10 starts with Double-A Binghamton last season, Vasil received a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he struggled out of the gate -- in part due to an adjustment to going from normal umpiring to the automated ball-strike system that is in place during most days in Triple-A.

"What I found difficult was the top of the zone," Vasil said. "I had focused on throwing strikes at the top of the zone the offseason prior. It was more of me competing with myself."

He made improvements as the season went on, including taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning in August against Scranton. In three of his last six starts, Vasil tossed at least six innings and allowed two runs or fewer.

Vasil is likely to be joined in the Triple-A rotation by fellow members of the Mets 2021 draft class Christian Scott and Dominic Hamel. He joked that Scott and Hamel have both won organizational pitcher of the year awards and he is the odd man out in that regard. However, there are more things that they have in common.

"Each one of us is really unique in what we do, but we have similar pitches on the mound so we can have conversations," Vasil said. "Off the field we are all good friends and I hope one day we can all be [in the big leagues] at the same time. That would be special."

One of the big things that you have seen written about and spoken about on The Mets Pod is the recently formed pitching lab in Port St. Lucie. The pitching lab was opened last summer, and Vasil was among many arms who visited and was blown away. He went down to St. Lucie after his final start of the season and his first reaction was "whoa, what is this place?"

The Mets hooked him up to sensors all over his body and they got the biomechanical data in his delivery. After the session, Vasil got with pitching and performance integration coordinator Kyle Rogers, who helped design his offseason plan and what he can do mechanically to not just potentially increase the ceiling of his velocity, but also raise the floor.

Not only is the pitching lab a tool to help increase velocity and maybe some spin rates on secondary pitches, but there is also an objective to help keep pitchers healthier. Rogers assigned specific drills for Vasil to include in his workouts a few times a week in his offseason training. In the early going this spring, it has paid dividends.

"My velocity is similar to last year, but it also feels like I am recovering better, I am moving better, and my stuff just is sharper," Vasil said.

In talking to scouts, Vasil projects as a high-floor No. 4 or No. 5 type of starter who can control four pitches. As a former eighth-round pick, that is a player development success story in a system that is improving at developing pitchers under the watch of vice president of pitching Eric Jagers.

Over the next couple of years, there should be more homegrown pitchers knocking on the big league door, and most expect Vasil to receive that call some time during the 2024 season.