The California born right-hander Stephen Nogosek made his major league debut for the New York Mets in 2019. His promotion came out of necessity to add and extra arm to the bullpen, and he struggled mightily in his first season.
One guy down on the #Mets farm that's really intrigued me this year: Stephen Nogosek, the last survivor from the Addison Reed trade.
Nogosek has improved his command/control this year, especially since reaching AAA. Still pumping 96 mph consistently. Will be Rule 5 elig this yr. pic.twitter.com/OyCrg3oiHY
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) June 14, 2019
Nogosek went to the Mets from the Boston Red Sox in the Addison Reed trade in 2017. He is the only reliever from the deal who remained in the Mets organization. Nogosek is known for his live arm, which is what makes him a promising prospect.
Not Quite Ready For The Big Stage
Nogosek received two stints in the big leagues during 2019. During his first go-around, he allowed four runs in five of his outings. All but one came in “garbage time” to let him get acclimated to major league hitters. His one tough outing came in an extra-innings loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he allowed a game-winning double to Jay Bruce. During the outing, he did not retire any of the three batters he faced.
Here's rookie reliever Stephen Nogosek on his call-up to the Mets: pic.twitter.com/vf1UzfkVhV
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 19, 2019
Nogosek went on to make two more outings in July during his second stint with the Mets. Both resulted in him being scored upon and a quick return to Syracuse. Nogosek had a terrific season in Triple-A, he pitched in 35 games and only allowed six earned runs.
He sits on the outside, looking in for the 2020 bullpen. Still fastball dominant, he will need to reign in his slider to become a weapon in the bullpen. Nogosek features a change-up and sinker, but he is mostly a two-pitch pitcher.
Grades:
Pitching Repertoire: D, Fastball has good life, but there is nothing else to supplement it.
Control: B+, Only walked two in 6.2 innings.
Composure: D, Only pitched in one key spot and could not retire a batter.
Intangibles: N/A
Overall: F, Still plenty of time for him to become a contributor in the future.