Santucci Named Mets' Rookie Most Likely To Earn ROY Honor

Freddy Peralta? Sayonara. Clay Holmes? So long. David? It was fun while it lasted. Kodai Senga? Yikes.

That's four pitchers who were expected to be mainstays in the 2026 New York Mets' starting rotation that were either traded away (Peralta, Holmes and Peterson) or banished to the bullpen due to underperformance (Senga) amidst the dumpster fire that was the Mets' 74-88 last-place finish in the NL East season.

That leaves veteran Sean Manaea (19 starts) and three rookies (Nolan McLean-31, Christian Scott-23 and Zac Thornton-15) who combined for 88 starts in 2026. It also means that the Mets need to find additional starters who can cover the 74 remaining starts that constitute a full 162-game MLB season.

Hope is growing that one of those new starters is the biggest fish in this year's free-agent pond, two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who the Mets are reportedly scheduled to meet with sometime next week.

But Skubal would have to be "Iron Arm" Johnson, or some such colorfully nicknamed pitcher from the 1880s if he were to make 74 starts in 2027, so additional reinforcements will be needed.

One of the most intriguing may be left-hander Jonathan Santucci.

Selected in 2024 in the second round of the MLB Draft, No. 46 overall, out of Duke University, Santucci stamped his name as one to watch this season at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.

In 27 combined starts and 125 innings at those two stops, he recorded 163 strikeouts, which was the most among minor-league pitchers at any level in 2026..

His 3.57 ERA and 120 strikeouts in just 90.2 innings at Binghamton also earned him a spot on the Double-A Eastern League's 2026 All-Star team.

That performance caught the eye of Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline, as on Tuesday they listed Santucci, the Mets' No. 2 prospect, as the New York farmhand they had the most confidence in to compete for and possibly win the 2027 MLB Rookie of the Year Award.

"His eight Triple-A starts weren't great this past season [5.24 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched], but he's the type of savvy lefty who will learn from that and carry those lessons to the big league rotation," the duo wrote.

A potentially attainable rotation opportunity, coupled with his maturing skill set, are what make Santucci a possible rookie contributor in 2027, but the Mets' most highly regarded prospect is shortstop Jefferson Rojas, who they acquired for Holmes from the Chicago Cubs in August.

Rojas showed out after being acquired, hitting .285 with nine doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 36 games split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.

Rojas has continued to rake while playing Winter League ball in the Dominican Republic, but, as Callis and Mayo pointed out, his path to a 2027 spot in Queens is blocked by a currently crowded infield, with veteran Francisco Lindor entrenched at short and veterans Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Bret Baty and Mark Vientos still in the picture.