The New York Mets didn’t just lose to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday—they got steamrolled, and it wasn’t pretty.
Frankie Montas, who was supposed to stabilize the rotation, delivered one of his worst starts in a Mets uniform.
Montas allowed seven earned runs in just four innings, leaving the Mets bullpen scrambling to cover the damage.
Into that chaos stepped Austin Warren, who gave the team a rare silver lining by tossing four scoreless innings.
Warren’s effort spared the Mets’ high-leverage arms from being overworked ahead of a crucial upcoming series.
But that workload came at a cost—Warren won’t be available for the next few days after throwing a lot of pitches.
The Mets were forced to make a move to preserve fresh arms.
So, the front office dipped into Triple-A and called up right-hander Dom Hamel for his long-awaited MLB debut.
Who Is Dom Hamel? A Quick Primer on the Call-Up
Dom Hamel was the Mets’ third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Dallas Baptist University.
After a brutal 2024 in Syracuse with a 6.79 ERA over 124.2 innings, expectations weren’t exactly sky-high.
But Hamel didn’t fold—he made adjustments, learned how to pitch instead of just throw, and it’s showing.
This year, he owns a 4.73 ERA in 53.1 innings with a much more refined pitch mix and better command.
While the raw ERA doesn’t leap off the page, his 98 ERA- and 93 FIP- show he’s outperforming the environment.
Those numbers are above average in the hitter-happy Triple-A East—no small feat for a rebounder.
Pitch Mix and Potential: Why Hamel Might Stick
According to Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, Hamel’s fastball is the foundation of his arsenal, and it’s legit.
He throws it in the mid-90s with sharp rising action that makes it deadly up in the strike zone.
He supplements it with a rare mix: three breaking balls that span a 17-mph velocity range.
There’s a slow, mid-70s curve, an emerging mid-80s sweeper, and a cutter that touches the upper-80s.
That sweeper, in particular, has dominated right-handed hitters with an elite whiff rate this season.
He has the tools to go at lefties too, thanks to smart sequencing and pitch tunneling from his fastball plane, per Longenhagen.
There’s also a changeup buried in the mix, but it’s mostly unused—Longenhagen calls it “in the trunk.”
Still, the depth of his repertoire makes Hamel a fascinating option for multi-inning work or future rotation depth.
What the Mets Need from Hamel Right Now
For now, Dom Hamel won’t be asked to lock down high-leverage innings or face the heart of a batting order.
Instead, expect him to fill the role that Warren just vacated—mop-up duty, middle innings, and damage control.
But every big-league career has to start somewhere, and these lower-pressure situations can offer valuable reps.
Hamel’s flexibility could be crucial during a week with a tight schedule and thin bullpen.
If he performs well, the Mets may start giving him chances in tighter games or even spot starts down the road.
His presence also buys the team some breathing room while the front office assesses long-term pitching needs.
A Shot at Redemption and Relevance
For Dom Hamel, this call-up is more than a roster shuffle—it’s a shot at rewriting his narrative in the organization.
Just last year, he looked lost in Triple-A. Now, he’s a testament to perseverance and skill development.
He’s not a headline prospect, but plenty of effective relievers have come from the same mold.
Pitching in relief may not have been the dream path, but it might be where Hamel can carve out MLB value.
And for a Mets team clinging to hope in a crowded NL playoff picture, every fresh arm counts.
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