Mets prospects Christian Scott and Mike Vasil flash good stuff in outings

JUPITER, Fla. — Saturday, a day when the public learned about seemingly minor injuries to Jeff McNeil and Joey Wendle, might not have been an ideal day for the present of the Mets. 

The future outlook, though, was a bit sunnier. 

Top prospects Christian Scott and Mike Vasil flashed good stuff in their first game in the Grapefruit League, logging back-to-back innings in which the Mets saw a glimpse of what their rotation might look like down the road. 

How far down the road? Maybe midseason. Perhaps September. Possibly next year. The arrival dates are up in the air, but the spring debuts were auspicious. 

“We’ve been hearing about these kids for a while,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before seeing Scott and Vasil, both drafted in 2021, pitch in a 4-1 loss to the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. “To get an opportunity to watch them pitch in a big-league game for the first time … I’m excited.” 

Scott, who has broken out as the organization’s top pitching prospect, allowed one run, one hit and one walk in an inning against major league hitters. The 6-foot-4 righty threw four consecutive balls to Jon Berti, the first hitter he saw in the sixth inning, before using a new weapon to put away Trey Mancini. 

Scott, who emerged last season in large part because he mastered a changeup as a third pitch, is now toying with a sweeper.

Scott threw three straight sweepers to Mancini, the first two generating whiffs and the third Mancini watched land in the strike zone. 

A two-out double from Curt Casali blemished Scott’s line, but encouraging were five swings-and-misses among 11 Marlins hacks. 

“Seeing if my stuff plays at this level,” Scott said of his goal for the day, which was accomplished. “So just going out there, throwing my new sweeper as much as I could and throwing my fastball up in the zone.” 

Scott is the most touted of a crowded group of young starters in camp after touching three levels last season and ending at Double-A Binghamton, compiling a 2.57 ERA in 19 starts. Scott struck out 107 and walked just 12 in 82 ²/₃ innings, his control the most impressive aspect of a breakout season. 

Vasil’s raw stuff may be a notch below, but the 23-year-old is further along in his development. The Boston native and eighth-round pick is the starting prospect closest to the majors — he touched Triple-A Syracuse last year — and followed Scott’s outing with a scoreless seventh inning. 

After letting up a leadoff double to Griffin Conine, Vasil retired three straight Marlins — including a strikeout of Jose Devers on a good cutter — to escape the jam. 

Vasil, who represented the Mets at last year’s Futures Game, averaged 94.7 mph with a fastball that he led with. He is not used to coming out of the bullpen, but he appreciated the chance to follow his friend. 

“It was awesome. We warmed up together in the locker room, on the back field. We were both very excited,” Vasil said of Scott. “It’s pretty cool when you got another guy from your draft class and a friend and somebody that you’re with every day, and then you’re both going out there and throwing in a big league spring training game — it’s pretty special.” 

Neither would be the first choice as reinforcements for a Mets rotation that already needs help because of Kodai Senga’s injury.

They are not on the 40-man roster, and thus options such as Tylor Megill, Jose Butto and Joey Lucchesi will receive the initial opportunities. 

But an organization that has not developed a true starter since the Five Aces days now has a few intriguing options.

Dom Hamel, another similarly rated prospect, is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday against the Astros.

Tyler Stuart, who is not in major league camp but impressed as a call-up in two scoreless innings Monday, rounds out a group of homegrown prospects trying to change the Mets’ fortunes with young pitchers. 

“I think it’s pretty exciting times,” Vasil said