Remembering 5 highly anticipated Mets debuts
This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo's Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
In recognition of Brett Baty’s memorable Major League debut last night, in which he clubbed a two-run homer in his first at-bat, I thought it might be interesting to look back at some of the most anticipated Mets debuts since I began covering the team 15 years ago. (Unfortunately, I just missed Lastings Milledge’s memorable rookie season in 2006.)
Note that someone like Jacob deGrom won’t make this list, because his debut was only anticipated by the most hardcore of prospect fans. Significantly more hype surrounded the following:
Zack Wheeler: June 18, 2013
MLB Pipeline preseason rank: MLB No. 8, Mets No. 2
It still seems unfathomable that then-general manager Sandy Alderson was able to pry Wheeler from the Giants for a two-month rental of Carlos Beltrán back in 2011. Wheeler was already a consensus Top 100 prospect at the time, and his stock only rose as he continued to put up dominant performances in the Minor Leagues. At the start of the 2013 season, MLB Pipeline ranked Wheeler the eighth-best prospect in baseball. So it was a massive story when the Mets called him up to start Game 2 of a doubleheader in Atlanta behind Matt Harvey, who had spent the first third of that season establishing himself as one of the game’s most electric pitchers.
Harvey, true to form, dominated in Game 1. Then Wheeler fired six scoreless innings in Game 2, tantalizing the Mets with the idea of a rotation headlined by the two of them.
Pete Alonso: March 28, 2019
MLB Pipeline preseason rank: MLB No. 51, Mets No. 1
Unlike the other players on this list, Alonso was hardly a can’t-miss prospect at the time of his debut. The hype surrounding Alonso revolved more around the Mets’ decision not to call him up the previous September despite standout numbers at Triple-A Las Vegas. The following spring, amid whispers that the Mets might try to manipulate his service time, Alonso forced their hand with a .352 average and four home runs in Grapefruit League play.
On the eve of the season, the Mets informed Alonso he had made the team as their starting first baseman. He debuted with a single on Opening Day and hit his first home run three games later, finishing with an MLB rookie-record 53.
Noah Syndergaard: May 12, 2015
MLB Pipeline preseason rank: MLB No. 10, Mets No. 1
Not yet popularly known as “Thor,” Syndergaard was nonetheless one of the most intriguing young pitchers in the game, having long since stepped out of the shadow of Travis d’Arnaud -- the more heralded prospect that went from the Blue Jays to the Mets in their 2012 trade of R.A. Dickey. Blessed with a fastball that could reach triple digits, Syndergaard became the first of three prominent Mets rookies to reach the Majors in 2015, preceding Steven Matz and Michael Conforto.
He took the loss in his debut but demonstrated plenty of potential at Wrigley Field, striking out six batters over 5 1/3 innings.
Matt Harvey: July 26, 2012
MLB Pipeline preseason rank: MLB No. 38, Mets No. 2
Harvey was inconsistent during his first two professional seasons, leading some to peg him as a future mid-rotation starter despite elite velocity and stuff. That changed almost immediately upon his debut in Arizona, where Harvey struck out 11 batters over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He finished his rookie season with a 2.73 ERA, which turned out to be merely the prelude to his memorable 2013 season. Ultimately, Harvey underwent Tommy John surgery that year before returning to lead the pitching staff in 2015.
While injuries and off-field issues caused him to fall short of his potential, Harvey was a comet early in his career.
Amed Rosario: Aug. 1, 2017
MLB Pipeline preseason rank: MLB No. 5, Mets No. 1
At the time of Rosario’s debut, he was easily the Mets’ most anticipated position-player prospect since David Wright more than a decade earlier. Rosario dominated the upper Minors, flashing potential as a five-tool player in the big leagues. He had signed the largest contract for an international amateur free agent in franchise history. When the Mets finally called up Rosario after the Trade Deadline, he became one of the biggest stories of their season.
It’s easy to forget how hyped Rosario was, because he never truly broke out with the Mets, instead becoming one of the key pieces the team sent to Cleveland in the Francisco Lindor trade. But the Mets hadn’t had a middle-infield prospect of his pedigree since José Reyes, and it’s possible they won’t again for years to come.
Honorable mention: Jeurys Familia (2012), d’Arnaud (2013), Wilmer Flores (2013), Rafael Montero (2014), Matz (2015), Conforto (2015), Brandon Nimmo (2016), Dominic Smith (2017)