Jack Wenninger’s path to becoming one of the most quietly dominant arms in the Mets’ farm system didn’t follow the family blueprint-but it’s working out just fine.
While his grandfather and uncle both played at the University of Wisconsin, Wenninger charted his own course out of Cary-Grove Community High School in 2020, committing to Murray State. His freshman year numbers were modest-5.26 ERA over 51.1 innings, with more walks (27) than you’d like to see-but there were flashes.
Enough, at least, to earn a second look elsewhere. After that season, Wenninger entered the transfer portal and landed at the University of Illinois, where head coach Dan Hartleb saw the potential in his tall frame, rising fastball velocity, and developing off-speed stuff.
In 2022, his first season with the Fighting Illini, Wenninger’s ERA ticked up to 5.71 across 34.2 innings, but again, there were signs of growth. That summer, he took the ball for the Wausau Woodchucks in the Northwoods League and turned in a strong showing: a 2.54 ERA over 46 innings, all in starts.
He limited damage, missed bats, and showed better command. That performance served as a springboard into 2023, where he became a weekend rotation staple for Illinois, starting 14 of 15 games and logging 80.1 innings with a 4.59 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and a much more manageable walk rate.
After the college season wrapped, Wenninger got a few extra innings with the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB Draft League. In three starts, he struck out 19 in just 11 innings.
That uptick in swing-and-miss stuff caught the attention of scouts, and by early July, the Mets made their move-selecting Wenninger in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, 186th overall. He signed for $225,000, slightly under slot value, and got his first taste of pro ball with brief appearances for the FCL Mets and St.
Lucie Mets. In just 2.1 innings, he struck out four and allowed one hit.
The Mets assigned him to Single-A St. Lucie to open the 2024 season, and while the early results weren’t eye-popping-a 5.02 ERA across 71.2 innings-there were encouraging signs.
He struck out 89 batters and walked only 23, showing improved command and a growing ability to miss bats. By mid-July, the Mets promoted him to High-A Brooklyn, and that’s where things really started to click.
Over 10 games (9 starts), Wenninger posted a 3.12 ERA in 43.1 innings, with 51 strikeouts and a tighter grip on his command. The pitcher-friendly dimensions of Maimonides Park certainly helped, but the stuff was playing up regardless.
Across both levels, Wenninger finished his first full pro season with a 4.30 ERA over 115 innings, striking out 140 and walking 40. His 140 strikeouts were the second-most in the Mets’ minor league system, trailing only Jonah Tong.
And then came 2025.
Promoted to Double-A Binghamton, Wenninger took another leap forward. He made 26 appearances, logged 135.2 innings, and posted a stellar 2.92 ERA.
He struck out 147, again finishing second in the system-this time tied with R.J. Gordon and still behind the ever-dominant Tong.
But Wenninger wasn’t just filling innings-he was delivering in big moments. In the Eastern League Championship clincher, he was electric: five innings, two runs, three hits, two walks, and 11 strikeouts.
That’s the kind of performance that sticks in a front office’s memory.
Physically, Wenninger looks the part. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he’s long-limbed and high-waisted, working from a high three-quarters arm slot with a smooth, repeatable delivery. His mechanics are clean and synced up, which helps him stay in the strike zone and limit free passes.
His fastball mix includes both a four-seamer and a two-seamer. The four-seam velocity ticked up in 2025, topping out at 98 mph and sitting comfortably around 94.
Thanks to his extension and high release point, the pitch has real ride at the top of the zone, giving it that extra life hitters hate. The two-seamer, used more against righties, gives him a different look-running in on hands and keeping hitters honest.
But the real weapon in his arsenal is the split-change. It’s a plus pitch, sitting in the low-to-mid-80s with a low spin rate that makes it vanish late.
He can use it in any count, in any quadrant-dropping it in for strikes or burying it for chases. It’s equally effective against lefties and righties, with horizontal movement that cuts in on righties and a nose-dive finish that’s tough to square up.
Coming into 2025, Wenninger had a cutter, curveball, and slider that were more developmental than dominant. But over the season, he refined that mix.
The cutter and slider have essentially merged into a tighter mid-80s gyro slider, and his curveball-now thrown with a new grip-has sharper bite. Both breaking balls now grade out as average, but his ability to locate them and sequence effectively makes them play up.
One of the more encouraging signs of his growth has been the closing gap in platoon splits. In 2024, right-handed hitters posted a .262/.336/.409 line against him, while lefties hit just .213/.275/.324-a sizable OPS gap of about 150 points.
In 2025, that difference shrunk dramatically. Righties hit .237/.280/.381, while lefties managed .208/.294/.338-a difference of just 30 points in OPS.
That’s a testament to his improved pitch mix and command, particularly with his off-speed offerings.
Even his batted ball profile has trended in the right direction, with slight improvements in both groundball and flyball rates-another sign of a pitcher who’s learning how to manage contact and control the game on his terms.
Jack Wenninger may not have been a household name on draft day, and he’s still flying a bit under the radar in a system with flashier arms. But make no mistake-he’s putting together a resume that demands attention.
With a deepening arsenal, improved command, and the ability to rise to the moment, Wenninger is positioning himself as a legitimate rotation option down the line. He’s not just filling innings-he’s coming for a big-league role.