The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies are two games out of first place with Trey McLoughlin playing a key role out of their bullpen. McLoughlin is back at Binghamton after the 24-year-old right-hander finished the 2023 season at Double-A. He made 25 appearances, had a 3.31 ERA, and struck out 38 batters to 10 walks throughout 35 1/3 innings. 

This season, McLoughlin has a 1.15 ERA in 15 2/3 innings for Binghamton. He has 18 strikeouts during that span and has held opponents to a .175 average.

During spring training, Mets Minors had the opportunity to talk with McLoughlin about his draft day experience, the progression of his slider grip, and much more. 

Ricky: What was your draft day experience like? 

Trey: Draft day was pretty cool. I was playing in the Cape Cod League in 2021 during the draft and I was in my host family’s basement. I had an idea that the Mets were interested. My advisor at the time had let me know that morning that the Mets were in the mix. I knew it would be Day 3 if anything. I was just sitting around watching it in my host family’s basement by myself. I got the call in the 16th Round.

Ricky: Being in the northeast, did you grow up a Mets fan? 

Trey: I grew up a Red Sox fan. I was a primary catcher a up until my sophomore year of high school, so Jason Varitek was my guy growing up. 

Ricky: How would you say you have grown as a pitcher from your first professional experience till now? 

Trey: I think I have made quite a bit of growth. We have a lot of really good coordinators in our organization who put a lot of time and effort into us. I have to credit them with a lot of that. A lot of hard work and discipline. I think that the resources that we have and the data we have available to us is truly second to none. I think there’s been a lot of growth over the years. 

Ricky: You mentioned the data. Is there one piece of data or information that you like to look at the most when you are breaking down some of your outings? 

Trey: I honestly think the Hawkeye and the Trackman stuff, I think that is really helpful. Gives you feedback on what your stuff is doing, how your stuff is moving. You can have a nasty pitch, but if the hitter can see it out of the hand or the hitter can read it in and out of the zone, it’s not really going to work. 

Ricky: What has the experience been like when you do work in the pitching lab in Port St. Lucie? 

Trey: It was really cool. I trained at DriveLine the last couple of years and they do the motion capture lab there too. I think this was a little more in-depth here. They put the sensors all over your body and then you throw your bullpen. Just seeing and hearing them explain all of the data points they can collect from it is really cool. You can literally see your own skeleton while you are throwing. It’s really cool. 

Ricky: When you look back at last year, what do you take away the most from it? 

Trey: Last year was a really fun year. A lot of cool experiences. I think the biggest thing last year was making sure that my stuff was playing in the zone. When you get to the Double-A level, hitters are a little bit more disciplined, a little bit better. They can control the zone better, so you have to make sure you are attacking them and that your stuff is playing in the zone. 

Ricky: You got to end the year in the Arizona Fall League. Getting to face that level of competition, how big was that for you to end your season in the AFL? 

Trey: That was one of the coolest experiences I ever had playing baseball. A lot of really good talent out there. I was pretty excited, a little bit nervous going there. But, it’s just one of those things where I kept having success and wanted to keep building off of it. It was an awesome experience, one that I will cherish forever. 

Ricky: How would you describe your pitch arsenal? 

Trey: I go four-seam fastball, splitter, then just started to develop a new slider grip. I’m getting a little bit more horizontal movement on it. 

Ricky: Where did the new slider grip come from? 

Trey: We just started toying around with that with Kyle Rogers. Just trying something out and it worked. I really liked the way it’s moving. 

Ricky: If someone had to watch one of your outings that best defines you as a pitcher, what game should they watch? 

Trey: I would say any game after I’ve gotten hit around a little bit. Everyone has their games where they don’t have their best stuff and they give up a few runs and they get hit around. What really shows who I am is how I can bounce back from that and all the games after that. 

Ricky: Is there one particular piece of advice you have received from a coach that has stuck out to you? 

Trey: A lot of coaches have told me to have fun and enjoy it because it has truly been a great experience being in pro ball. There’s been so many different coaches giving me so many different pieces of wisdom, but I think the biggest one is just enjoy the process and have fun with it. 

Ricky: Being that you got to play college baseball in the New York/Connecticut area, does that help you prepare for potentially starting this season in colder weather? 

Trey: I definitely think that has helped. There were games that we would play and there would be snow on the ground still. There would be times in the offseason when I would be throwing and it would be 25 degrees outside. Over the years, I think it has helped me for sure to become more gritty and have to deal with a lot of stuff outside my control. 

Ricky: Is there any pitcher you take some of your game after or enjoy watching? 

Trey: I’ve always liked watching Jacob deGrom throw. He is so smooth. I’ve always liked watching him throw. It is so effortless. He is a perfect example of a guy who has to throw strikes to get guys out at that level. He commands the ball really well. 

Ricky: Toughest hitter you have faced so far? 

Trey: One of the more memorable hitters I have faced was Pete Alonso last year. One of the toughest hitters, I would say Jasson Dominguez. We faced him in Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset. 

Ricky: What was it like to go up against Pete Alonso? 

Trey: That was fun. I was sitting outside having breakfast and the pitching coordinator came up and was like you ready to go throw on the major league side? I said absolutely and didn’t know what I was getting myself in to. We showed up over there and it was to get prep for the World Baseball Classic for those guys. We were facing Daniel Vogelbach, Alonso, and Eduardo Escobar, so it was a really cool experience. 

Ricky: What are your goals for this season? 

Trey: One of my biggest goals this season is to get to Citi Field. If I keep taking care of business and I stay healthy, I don’t see how that isn’t a possibility. 

Ricky: Do you have a favorite workout that helps you get ready for the season? 

Trey: I love lifting. For me, I would consider that a hobby. It’s a good outlet for me. I don’t have anything in particular, but in the offseason, I love being in the weight room.