Kevin Herget returns to the Mets! The right handed, New Jersey native was drafted by the Cardinals back in 2013 out of Kean University. He would eventually make his major league debut with the Rays in 2022 when he was 31 years old. Since then he has pitched the Reds, Brewers, Mets, Braves and then back to the Mets.
Herget pitched 12 innings for the Mets last season over six games allowing five runs, four earned from 11 hits and three walks. He struck six batters and had a 3.00 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.167 WHIP and a 138 ERA+. His Statcast metrics were intriguing even in a small-sample size. Herget didn’t fool anyone, hitters chased him 25.5% and whiffed only 12.5% of the time (below 10th percentile). The average exit velocity though on his pitches was 87.2 mph, which would be around 90th percentile. It looks like no one even hit a barrel off of him last season.
Most of Herget’s innings last year came in four outings from late August through September after a terrific campaign with Syracuse. Over 23 games he had pitched 32 innings with a 2.81 ERA and 1.125 WHIP. This was better than his 14 2/3 innings with Gwinnett in the Braves system last year where he had a 3.68 ERA and a 1.295 WHIP.
Last season Herget used his low-90’s four seamer 44% of the time, and low-80’s changeup 36.6% of the time. He also had a cutter that worked in a bit and a curveball he litterally tossed twice. Hitters had .211 batting average against his fastball, but his xBA was .298. The results on his changeup (.227 BA) were closer to their expected value (.231).
Herget is probably not going to win a job with the Mets bullpen straight out of spring training. His role is the same as last year – he’s available when the Mets need a veteran arm to fill a gap. Herget was that pitcher for the Mets from late August through the rest of the season, saving the bullpen by throwing multiple innings in a game three times in his final four appearances.
