One common theme surrounding the New York Mets’ farm system this season has been questionable pitching depth in the upper levels. The Mets have been working to address that weakness for a few years, notably drafting some high-upside starting pitchers in the past few years, a process that could yield some fruit in the coming years. One such player is Dominic Hamel, who is the focus of this week’s edition of Minor League Mondays.
Hamel, the Mets’ third round pick in 2021 out of Dallas Baptist, made his full season debut this year with Low-A St. Lucie. The results were good for Hamel, who went 5-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 14 appearances, including 13 starts, and struck out 71 batters in 63.1 innings pitched. The Mets decided to challenge Hamel with a midseason promotion to High-A Brooklyn and he pitched even better as a member of the Cyclones. Hamel’s final 11 starts of the year came in Brooklyn as he went 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA, striking out 74 batters in 55.2 innings pitched.
Scouts like what they see out of Hamel thanks to the fact that three of our his four pitches have exceptional spin rates, headlined by his fastball that sits between 94-96 miles per hour. Hamel also incorporates a slider, a curveball and changeup into his four-pitch repertoire but the first two off speed offerings are significantly ahead of the changeup.
The key to success for Hamel, who is currently rated as the Mets’ 12th best prospect according to MLB.com, will be maintaining solid control of his pitches as he progresses up the minor league ladder. Hamel walked 54 batters in 119 innings this season, which is a tad high, but he was able to overcome them and put together a strong year.
The results shouldn’t be entirely unexpected since Hamel is 23 years old and should dominate hitters younger than him in A-ball. The Mets will likely push Hamel up to AA Binghamton to start the 2023 season to give him more of a challenge after his successful 2022 campaign. There isn’t an immediate need for big league help in the Mets’ rotation so they can afford to let Hamel develop at his own pace going forward, making 2024 the earliest we could see him in Flushing.
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