Mets Pitching Prospect Reveals How He Is Rediscovering Form After Injury-Plagued Season

Ryan Lambert entered 2026 with a chance to emerge as a bullpen option for the New York Mets.

Instead, recurring forearm problems and a loss of command derailed his promising rise through the organization.

Now, the hard-throwing prospect believes he is rediscovering the mechanics and confidence that made him one of the Mets' more intriguing young relievers.

Speaking with Mike Puma of the New York Post, Lambert discussed how his injury troubles affected his delivery and how returning to a more natural approach has helped him regain his form in the Arizona Fall League.

Through five appearances with the Surprise Saguaros, Lambert has thrown five hitless, scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and three walks.

His fastball is again reaching 97–98 mph, and he is developing a slower, sweeping slider to complement his primary offering.

Lambert recorded a 1.62 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 50 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton in 2025. That performance helped earn him an invitation to major league spring training and a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse to open 2026.

MLB.com identified Lambert as a potential impact prospect earlier this year, highlighting his explosive fastball and slider while identifying command as the primary obstacle to reaching the majors.

Those control problems became considerably worse in 2026.

Lambert finished the minor league season with an 8.07 ERA in 29 innings across three levels. He struck out 38 batters but issued 33 walks, allowing 26 earned runs.

His struggles coincided with recurring forearm trouble that resulted in multiple injured-list stints during the summer.

The injuries also disrupted his pitching mechanics, leaving him searching for the delivery that had previously produced so much success.

Lambert told the Post that he has since learned to trust what feels natural rather than overcomplicating his approach on the mound.

That adjustment, combined with improved health, has helped him regain his upper-90s velocity and confidence in attacking hitters.

Lambert was already among the organization's young arms making an impression in the Arizona Fall League, and his latest outings have extended that encouraging stretch.

Still, five innings represent a small sample, particularly for a pitcher who struggled so significantly with his command during the regular season.

But after a season in which his path to the majors appeared to stall, the 24-year-old has an opportunity to rebuild momentum.

If he can maintain his upper-90s velocity while throwing more consistent strikes, Lambert could reenter the conversation as a potential bullpen contributor for the Mets in 2027.