Mets Prospect Hits Comeback Trail In Arizona Fall League

Reliever Peyton Prescott was rising star in college baseball based on his performance for Florida State in the Super Regional. The New York Mets prospect was on the verge of winning his team’s deciding game against Oregon State, but his future changed completely when he felt his elbow go. 

The injury happened before the draft, and the Tommy John surgery that followed put his status in doubt. Some teams had expressed interest, but others didn't want to take a chance on a player with a surgically-repaired elbow, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. 

Prescott was definitely surprised when the Mets took him in the fifth round, to the point of disbelief. The reliever grew up as a Mets fan, and as a lifelong Floridian he’d been to visit St. Lucie on a regular basis. 

But the Mets wanted some assurances beyond his medicals, so they  sent scout Brett Campbell to check on Prescott’s makeup. What Campbell already knew from scouting the reliever in high school was that Prescott was a two-way player with experience in the infield, so he was aware of both the arm strength and the athleticism that went with it. 

The injury also gave the Mets an unexpected break when Prescott dropped in their laps in the fifth round, and his slot bonus was low at $200K. 

Prescott finally made his pro debut on Sept. 4, and he pitched a scoreless inning for St. Lucie. The line wasn’t good -- 1-1/3 innings, four hits, three earned runs, two walks, one strikeout - but that didn’t matter given the situation and the context that came with it. 

The reliever still has plenty to work on. His velocity isn’t back to his old level of 100 mph, and the Mets want Prescott to work on his sweeper to get a better feel for the pitch. He’s also had success with his splitter, which he used in that first outing, and he's got a few weeks to show the Mts what he can do.

The focus now is on getting and staying healthy, though, as it is for all pitchers coming off of Tommy John surgery. It’s a tough road to take, but the Mets also believe in Prescott’s competitive nature. It will be a while before he has a chance to make it to Citi Field, but for the moment he’s a great draft-day story that brings good vibes to an organization that badly needs them.