Mets' Prospect Gets Starting Call For AFL Semifinal

When New York Mets' pitching prospect Peyton Prescott takes the mound to open the Surprise Saguaros' Arizona Fall League semifinal playoff game against the Glendale Desert Dogs on Friday (3:30 p.m. ET on MLB.com and MLB.tv) it will be a somewhat full-circle moment for him.

It was while pitching in a playoff game - an NCAA Super Regional contest against Oregon State to be exact - for Florida State in 2025 that he felt discomfort in his right elbow.

The diagnosis wasn't surprising: a torn UCL that would require Tommy John surgery and keep Prescott off any type of mound for at least a year.

It also put in doubt his status for the 2025 MLB Draft. Leading up to the draft, he was considered one of the college game's better pitching prospects, armed with a 100-mph fastball and improving sweeper that had proved capable of getting hitters out in one of the nation's toughest college-baseball leagues, the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Pre-injury, Prescott was a guy who might have gone off the board in the second or third round, but post-injury, who really knew?

So, he was pleasantly surprised when the Mets called his name in the fifth round, not only because his draft wait was over, but because he was a lifelong fan of the team from Queens thanks to his father having lived in New York while growing up.

After Prescott inked a contract with a $200,000 bonus he began the hard work of rehabbing his elbow, which came to fruition on Sept. 4 when he made his first professional appearance, a 1.1-inning stint with the St. Lucie Mets in the Single-A Florida State League. He allowed three earned runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout in the outing, but he left it pain-free and ready to continue his rise through the Mets' minor-league system.

The next step came in Arizona as the Mets made him one of five of their pitching prospects who would suit up for Surprise in the AFL, which actually earned him recognition as a sleeper to watch during the AFL season from MLB.com.

In six starts for the Saguaros, Prescott pitched a total of 11.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, nine runs (eight earned) and two home runs with 10 strikeouts, seven walks and one hit batter, good for a 6.17 ERA and 1.80 WHIP.

It was also good enough for Surprise's management team to give him the starting nod in the Saguaros' biggest game of the season. Prescott will face a Desert Dogs team that finished last in the six-team AFL standings with a 10-17 record, but erupted for 17 runs in their 17-5 quarterfinal defeat of the Scottsdale Scorpions on Thursday.

If Surprise wins, they will advance to meet the winner of the Peoria-Salt River semifinal in the AFL championship game, which is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on the MLB Network.