If you have watched the Mets over the last two seasons, you already know today’s NRI player! Grant Hartwig made his major league debut with the Mets in 2023. He pitched in 28 games totaling 35 1/3 innings with a 4.84 ERA, 4.44 FIP, 1.387 WHIP and an 87 ERA+. The Mets kept him on the 40-man roster going into 2024.
Hartwig got two cups of coffee with the Mets in 2024. In April he allowed two runs over 3 innings. He then got recalled during the Mets terrible month of May and allowed four runs, three earned over 3 2/3 innings. Things got worse for Hartwig a month or so later when he needed surgery for a meniscus tear.
Hartwig returned to the mound at the end of July and pitched 17 innings over 17 games allowing 16 runs from 20 hits and 20 walks while striking out 17 batters. Results got a lot better for Hartwig from September 6th on where he allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings (both runs in the same outing) over five games. The Mets did not tender him a contract at the end of 2024 and then signed him to a minor league contract at the start of December.
In 2023 Hartwig tossed a singer, sweeper, cutter and changeup in the majors. His sinker (and four seamer that was picked up on pitch tracking in 2024) sits int he mid-90’s. His sweeper, which he tosses about the third of the time, sits in the low-80’s, his cutter sits in the mid-to-low-90’s and sprinkles in a mid-80’s changeup.
Grant Hartwig will pitch for the Mets at some point this season. There will be injuries at some point that allow him to get on the 40-man. Right now he looks like a classic bullpen inning filler, just like how he was used in 2024. His 2023 major league results were better than his AAA results (5.02 ERA). The Mets are still hoping he can put together his 2022 season where had a 1.75 ERA over 56 2/3 innings.
Here’s what we are looking for from Hartwig this spring:
- How does he perform in his early spring training innings? Can he continue his momentum from September?
- How long do the Mets keep him around in camp? If he can make it past the second round of cuts, then the Mets may be seriously considering him as an early season 40-man roster replacement player.
