Some extent of satisfaction for Mets right-hander Dom Hamel has at all times been his sturdiness as a beginning pitcher. Since his first full skilled season in 2022, he’s thrown no fewer than 119 innings, and threw 124 or extra in Double-A and Triple-A in every of his final two seasons. So when the Mets got here to the 26-year-old farmhand earlier this season with the concept to have him work out of the bullpen, he was admittedly “bitter.”
The Mets bought him on a clearer path to the large leagues as a reliever. The large league rotation was — and nonetheless is — full, and he was blocked by high pitching prospects Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean.
“I’ve thrown at least like, 115-120 innings the last four years of my career, and felt good handling that workload, so I was a little bitter at first just because I know I can handle that type of workload,” Hamel mentioned Monday at Citi Subject. “I believe in myself to do it at the next level, but there are really good guys up here, really good starters and relievers. One of the things we talked about with the front office is that there might be more opportunity in this kind of role.”
Hamel received his alternative Monday when the Mets referred to as him to make his huge league debut towards the Cleveland Guardians. Needing to interchange right-hander Austin Warren, who pitched 4 innings Sunday afternoon, the Mets determined it was lastly time to name up Hamel.
“He understood and kept working and put himself in a position where there was a need for the big league club,” mentioned supervisor Carlos Mendoza. “His name came up, and here he is.”
The Mets want size out of the righty, one thing he ought to be capable of present since he’s stretched out to throw about 20-30 pitches. Hamel has made 22 appearances this season, eight begins, going 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA. As a starter, he has a 4.76 ERA, a 4.70 ERA as a reliever.
With a starter’s repertoire, he has a fastball with common velocity, however he’s been in a position so as to add a couple of ticks since going into the bullpen, one other promoting level from the Mets.
“[They Mets said] there could be upside,” Hamel mentioned. “[They said], ‘You’re used to throwing a lot of innings in a year, it could make you fresh and you could tick up in velos.’ So I was just all eyes and ears.”
Hamel additionally throws a slider that performs extra like a sweeper with spin, and a changeup to get hitters to chase. There’s a curveball within the combine, however it’s not a pitch he makes use of as usually as he as soon as did. Nonetheless, the Mets don’t have anybody within the bullpen who throws one apart from new addition Ryan Helsley, so it may convey a distinct look.
For now, he’s simply maintaining it easy and making an attempt to throw strikes.
“I think the biggest adjustment, which has kind of helped in my favor, is when you come out of the bullpen, you come in and you give them what you got,” Hamel mentioned. “You’ve received to restrict harm, cease bleeding, no matter scenario it’s. So much more of a mentality of simply being within the zone, as an alternative of considering of preserving pitches to get by means of a lineup a second or third time.
“So it’s really kind of just brought me back to a lot more simplistic mindset.”
He’s extraordinarily near his grandparents in Chandler, Arizona, who had been among the many first individuals he referred to as after receiving phrase from Syracuse pitching coach A.J. Sager that he was getting his first call-up, in addition to former teammates, coaches, associates and his girlfriend.
“I guess the biggest emotion I was feeling was gratitude,” he mentioned. “So many people have been a part of this journey with me, and it’s been really cool.”
Initially Revealed: August 4, 2025 at 6:34 PM EDT
