(Ed Delany/MetsMinors)
According to Larry Burneal of News 12 WBNG in Binghamton, the Mets plan for left-handed pitching prospect P.J. Conlon to make a full-time switch to the bullpen in 2018.
Conlon, a 13th-round draft choice from San Diego State in 2015, has pitched to a 2.35 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 3.83 K/BB in three minor league seasons. Should he reach the major leagues, whether as a starting pitcher or reliever, Conlon would become the first Irish-born player since 1945.
The news of Conlon’s role switch shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as there had been chatter of such a move prior to the 2017 season when some writers went as far as suggesting that Conlon had a shot at the Mets’ opening day bullpen. In reality, The 24-year-old was assigned to Double-A Binghamton, where he made 28 appearances (22 starts) and recorded a 3.38 ERA.
After starting his first 21 games of the season, Conlon made six short relief outings over the final two months. He was strong in those stints, allowing five hits and an unearned run with eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
He made 17 relief outings in his debut season with Brooklyn, but those were appearances within the organization’s pitching program for newly drafted players, as he pitched every four or five days in preparation of transitioning back to a starter in 2016.
This news shouldn’t change Conlon’s expected assignment of Las Vegas, although, with a strong Spring, he may put himself in line to earn the second lefty spot in the bullpen behind Jerry Blevins.
I really do like and am intrigued by future of Conlon as a reliever going forward.
He was really good when I saw him in a Lucie Mets uniform but throwing 87 mph in today’s MLB sounds extremely tough nowadays.
I hope full time relief can get that fastball up to like 89-90.
And I love his quirky delivery.
Putting him in the bullpen is a huge mistake. Conlon has been really good as a lefty starting pitcher who is reminiscent of Tom Glavine. This guy needs to stay a starter. The Mets have a very good lefty relief pitcher in AAA named Kyle Regnault. He had an ERA under 3.40 in Vegas, and he deserves consideration to be the 2nd lefty reliever along with Jerry Blevins. The Mets are plain out stupid to risk changing Conlon’s good starting pitcher work by forcing him into the bullpen.
He had to have a lot go his way in order to make it to majors with his high 80s fastball max. His ability to pitch & possible uptick in his FB may let him become more than just a Loogy. I would’ve liked to see him try out as starter in AAA but they needed more lefties. If he threw 95 mph he’d be a top 5 organizational prospect right now but he doesn’t but this transition made his path to majors a little more clear.
Its not a mistake at all. The Mets have a dozen starters ahead of Conlon on the depth chart. Moving him to the pen allows him to move up faster. Its never a mistake to advance talent that is ready to be advanced.
Also: comparing Conlon to Glavine doesn’t hold up simply because Glavine had more velocity and better stuff. And thats exactly why Conlon is being moved: the velo and stuff isn’t as sharp as it would need to be in order to get more advanced hitters out the third and fourth time through the batting order.