Among the wave of new faces the New York Mets have called up since trading away eight players at August's trade deadline, few have stood out more than Nate Lavender.
The 26-year-old rookie reliever has endured a long path to the major leagues, undergoing an internal brace procedure in 2024 before being selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 draft, only to be DFA'd and returned to the Mets months later.
But in his first taste of major league action, Lavender has made the long journey worthwhile. In 17 innings thus far, the left-hander has allowed just three runs (1.59 ERA) while striking out 22 batters. He's holding opponents to a .183 batting average with a minuscule 31.6% hard-hit rate against him.
What makes Lavender's dominance even more impressive is how he's getting opposing hitters out. His average fastball sits at just 91.4 mph, a mark that ranks near the bottom among pitchers in baseball. However, his delivery is so deceptive that batters have a mighty difficult time picking up the ball. That deception is only amplified by his 7.1 feet of extension, which ranks in the 94th percentile in the sport.
Simply put, Lavender doesn't fit the mold of a typical reliever in today's game, where velocity often reigns supreme and pitchers try to blow hitters away. His unique pitching style makes him a nightmare for opposing hitters late in games and exactly the type of weapon the Mets desperately needed heading into next season.
New York Mets pitcher Nate Lavender has been a pleasant surprise in the bullpen this season and should have an integral role in 2027. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Going into this offseason, the Mets were facing a near-complete rebuild of their bullpen after trading away A.J. Minter , Brooks Raley , Huascar Brazoban, and Luke Weaver . All four relievers were having successful seasons before their departures, making the task of replacing them all the more daunting.
Arguably the toughest to replace is Raley, whom the Mets relied heavily on in high-leverage situations and against opposing teams' best left-handed hitters. That's an especially important role for a division loaded with dangerous left-handed bats, including Kyle Schwarber , Bryce Harper , Matt Olson , CJ Abrams , and James Wood.
New York appeared destined to either invest heavily in a left-handed reliever like Adrian Morejon this winter or turn to the trade market to fill Raley's void. But with Lavender's emergence, the Mets may already have their successor.
Now, this doesn't mean the Mets shouldn't add a big-time difference-maker like Morejon or David Bednar this offseason. After all, New York still needs to replace Weaver and the other relievers it traded away.
Having Lavender firmly in the mix gives the Mets one fewer box to check off. New York will also welcome back high-leverage reliever Reed Garrett , who's been working his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Devin Williams will presumably return to his closer role, though Kodai Senga might have something to say about that if he remains in the bullpen. Depth options Austin Warren , Dedniel Nunez, and Jonathan Pintaro should also factor into the bullpen picture at some point during the season.
Instead of a complete bullpen overhaul that could have required David Stearns to add four or five relievers, that number might now be closer to three.
After such a disastrous season, Stearns has a lengthy offseason wish list, including finding a new manager and adding an ace-level starter to the rotation . Lavender's rise at least gives Stearns one fewer problem to solve this winter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mets/onsi as How Nate Lavender's Breakout Could Change Mets' 2027 Bullpen Plans .
