The 2023 season saw plenty of Mets minor league relievers take huge steps forward. Anywhere from the Dominican Summer League to Triple-A Syracuse, relievers dominated in 2023 for the Mets.
All 2023 Team Members: RHP Paul Gervase, LHP Daniel Juarez, LHP Nate Lavender
Gervase, a LSU product, dominated in his first full season in professional baseball. The massive righty, standing in at 6’10”, posted a 2.05 ERA between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, with his highlight of the year being closing out the 2023 Eastern League Semi-Finals over the Somerset Patriots.
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Gervase dominated the competition to a 15.16 K/9, while limiting the walks to just 2.29 per every nine innings. Gervase spent the brunt of his campaign in Brooklyn, where he allowed 9 earned runs over 47 innings, equating to a 1.72 ERA. Gervase figures to start the year in Binghamton, but could become a factor in the Mets’ bullpen in no time.
Daniel Juarez exploded onto the scene for the Mets in 2023. Much like Gervase, Juarez started the year in Brooklyn, where did not allow a single earned run over his 15.2 innings of work in the South Atlantic League. After moving to Double-A Binghamton, Juarez continued to succeed, posting a 3.21 ERA over 41.1 IP.
Juarez limited base runners at both levels, posting a 0.70 WHIP in Brooklyn, and a 1.02 mark in Binghamton. Of interesting note, Juarez’s strikeouts were down from 12.25 in 2022 to 9.63 in 2023, but with that his walks came down from 4.98 to 2.84.
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Juarez’s strong performance, much like Gervase, helped propel the Rumble Ponies to an appearance in the 2023 Eastern League Championship, and has earned him a spot on the 2023 All-Mets Minors team.
Lefty Nate Lavender, a 14th round pick in 2021, started off the 2023 season in Binghamton, where he dominated to the tune of a 1.74 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 16.55 K/9 in just over ten innings. His dominance of Double-A, albeit in a small sample size, earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he continued to impress in what was a very offense friendly run environment.
After his promotion, Lavender put up a 3.27 ERA for Syracuse, with a 1.30 WHIP and 13.70 K/9 for the Mets. Overall, Lavender posted a 2.98 ERA with 1.20 WHIP and a 14.25 K/9. Lavender’s strong 2023 came on the heels of a dominant 2022, and a strong rookie showing in 2021. Lavender has been successful at every level for the Mets in his career, with his Syracuse stint being the first time he’s ever posted an ERA over three at any level of minor league ball.
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Most notably, Lavender’s K/BB ratio grew to 3.31, a much improved mark from his 2.58 in 2022. Lavender, who might be the Mets’ best pitching prospect, dominated in 2023 and earned himself the final spot on the All-Mets Minors team.
All 2023 Team Honorable Mentions: RHP Trey McLoughlin, RHP Dylan Tebrake, RHP Lucas Gordillo
RHP Trey McLoughlin, RHP Dylan Tebrake, and RHP Lucas Gordillo are the honorable mentions for the 2023 All-Mets Minors Team.
McLoughlin, taken two rounds after Lavender in 2021, took the same path in 2023 as Juarez and Gervase: starting off strong in Brooklyn, and earning a promotion to Binghamton. A part of the bullpen that pushed for an Eastern League title, McLoughlin overall posted a 2.79 ERA with a career high 11.59 K/9 and a 1.14 WHIP through 51.2 total innings.
Tebrake, a 2022 selection in the 8th round, battled injuries in 2023 but still impressed. In 31 innings Brooklyn and Binghamton, the righty posted a 2.61 ERA with a 13.65 K/9, 1.13 WHIP, and a .180 batting average against in his first full season in the bigs. A healthy Tebrake might have pushed for a spot on the 2023 All-Mets Minors team, but even despite his injuries, he still earns an honorable mention.
Lucas Gordillo, a 21-year old right hander for the DSL Mets Blue, made his professional debut in 2022 and dominated every step of the way. The righty posted a 1.21 ERA for the DSL Mets Blue squad in 37.1 innings, striking out 13.26 batters per every nine innings, and opponents slugged just .242 against the 6’0″ righty. Gordillo signed in early February of 2023, and figures to get a look stateside in 2024 if he can stay healthy. Gordillo’s immediate success in the professionals earns him the final honorable mention spot for the 2023 All-Mets Minors team, reliever position.
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