Zach Thornton’s path to pro ball wasn’t paved with hype or headlines - but that’s what makes his rise all the more compelling. The 6-foot-3 lefty out of Lawrence, Kansas, has quietly turned himself into one of the most intriguing arms in the Mets’ farm system. And he’s done it the hard way: through relentless development, a deep pitch mix, and some of the best command you’ll find in the minors.
From JUCO to the Pros: A Road Less Traveled
Thornton didn’t come out of high school as a can’t-miss prospect. In fact, he barely pitched his junior year after the 2020 season was wiped out by the pandemic.
Undrafted and under the radar, he landed at Barton Community College - a junior college in Great Bend, Kansas - alongside a few of his high school teammates. It was there that his transformation began.
As a freshman, Thornton took the ball in 13 of his 14 appearances and logged 60.2 innings with a 4.01 ERA. Solid, if unspectacular, but the strikeout numbers (79 Ks) hinted at some upside. He spent that summer getting more reps with the Great Bend Bat Cats in the Sunflower Collegiate League, then returned to Barton for his sophomore season - and that’s when things really started to click.
In 2022, he made 15 starts and posted a 2.63 ERA over nearly 79 innings, racking up 91 strikeouts while limiting hits and walks. That summer, he took his game on the road, pitching for both the Elizabethton River Riders and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers - two developmental leagues that help bridge the gap to pro ball. The exposure and performance earned him a spot at Grand Canyon University, where he became a reliable weekend starter and logged 88.1 innings with a 3.87 ERA in his first taste of Division I competition.
Drafted by the Mets: A Value Pick with Upside
The Mets saw enough in Thornton to make him their fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, signing him for $350,000 - slightly under slot value. Rather than rush him into action, the organization opted to let him rest up and prepare for a full pro debut in 2024.
Thornton kicked off his pro career at Single-A St. Lucie, where he appeared in 13 games (six starts) and posted a 4.39 ERA over 41 innings.
The numbers don’t jump off the page, but the Mets saw enough to bump him up to High-A Brooklyn in August. That’s where things started to take shape.
In 27 innings with the Cyclones, he posted a 3.67 ERA, walked just two batters, and struck out 22. Across both levels, he finished his rookie season with a 4.10 ERA in 68 innings - a solid foundation to build on.
Breakout in 2025: Command, Deception, and Dominance
Thornton came into 2025 with a clear plan: attack hitters early, get ahead in counts, and let his deep pitch mix do the rest. The results? Eye-opening.
He began the year back in Brooklyn and was lights out - allowing just one earned run over 20.2 innings in four starts. He gave up only five hits, walked two, and punched out 25. That kind of dominance earned him a promotion to Double-A Binghamton before April was over.
Even against more advanced hitters in the Eastern League, Thornton didn’t blink. Over 10 starts and 52 innings, he posted a 2.60 ERA, gave up just 36 hits, walked nine, and struck out 53. His season was cut short in early July due to an oblique injury, but the body of work was impressive: a combined 1.98 ERA in 72.2 innings with a 7.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio - the best in the Mets’ system among pitchers with at least 25 innings.
What Makes Thornton Tick: Deception, Depth, and Command
Thornton doesn’t have one overpowering pitch - and that’s kind of the point. He works from a high three-quarter arm slot with a funky, up-tempo delivery that adds plenty of deception. His long arm action and crossfire release make it tough for hitters to pick up the ball, and his command allows him to work all four quadrants of the zone.
He throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, and while the two pitches can blur together at times, they’re thrown with different grips and serve different purposes. Coming into 2025, his fastball velocity had ticked up thanks to offseason strength work - now sitting more consistently in the low-to-mid 90s and topping out around 95 MPH. His four-seamer has a bit of ride up in the zone, while the two-seamer has more typical sink and run.
His slider is his go-to strikeout pitch. It’s gained some extra velocity since 2024 and now lives in the mid-to-high 80s, with a slurvy two-plane break that plays well down in the zone. It’s not a wipeout pitch in the traditional sense, but it’s effective because he can locate it and pair it with his fastballs to keep hitters guessing.
He also mixes in a curveball and changeup. The curve comes in the mid-70s with big 11-to-5 break, while the changeup sits in the low 80s with late fade and tumble.
Neither is a high-whiff pitch, but both generate weak contact - especially ground balls. In 2024, he posted a 49.5% groundball rate and just a 25% flyball rate.
Those numbers dipped slightly in 2025, but he still kept the ball on the ground more often than not.
What’s Next?
Thornton’s not a top-100 prospect - at least not yet - but he’s trending in the right direction. He’s got a deep arsenal, elite command, and a delivery that gives hitters fits. If he can stay healthy and keep missing bats at the upper levels, he’s going to force the Mets’ hand sooner rather than later.
He’s not flashy. He’s not overpowering. But Zach Thornton is proving that polish, pitchability, and poise can still go a long way - and the Mets might have found a real gem in the fifth round.