The Mets have spent the second half of the season getting a clearer look at what their rotation might become, and Zac Thornton is suddenly a big part of that picture.
Thornton turned in one of his best outings on Tuesday in a win over the Brewers, working six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two for his first major-league win. The performance stretched his scoreless streak to 18 innings, the longest by a Mets rookie in 10 years, with Steven Matz the last to do it back in 2016.
That’s not a one-off flash, either. Thornton’s recent run has been enough to push him into the conversation as a real rotation piece moving forward, especially after the Mets kept cycling him up and down earlier in the season.
The No. 12 prospect in the organization was first asked to start on May 20, when he gave the Mets 4.1 innings and allowed four runs before being sent down for a fresh arm. He got another shot on June 26 in Andy Green’s managerial debut and responded with six innings, one run allowed and seven strikeouts against the Phillies. Even after that, he was optioned again, a move that drew questions after he had just delivered one of the club’s better starts of the year.
Then came July 12, when Thornton was brought back to stay in the rotation. He answered with seven scoreless innings against the Red Sox and five strikeouts, and that outing seemed to make the case plain: the 24-year-old can handle major-league work.
Over his last four starts, Thornton has thrown 23.1 innings with a 1.93 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, 17 strikeouts and six walks. For the season, he’s at 23.1 innings, 17 strikeouts, a 1.93 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and a 6.56 K/9.
His rise matters because it gives the Mets a young group to build around. Nolan McLean and Christian Scott are already part of that conversation, and Thornton’s emergence adds another arm the team can count on as it looks ahead to 2027.
That future also makes the Clay Holmes situation more interesting with 11 days left until the MLB Trade Deadline. Holmes is working back from injury, and the Mets have to decide whether he’s part of the long-term plan or a possible trade chip.
Keeping him would give them four starters and make David Stearns’ offseason work easier. Trading him could bring back value.
Holmes has looked the part early, posting a 2.39 ERA and averaging six innings per start through his first nine outings. He also fractured his tibia after a 111 MPH liner hit him, per @NYPost_Mets. After this season, the former Yankee has a player option and could reach free agency, but Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Holmes is interested in working toward an extension to remain with the Mets, with the two sides expected to talk over the next few days, according to SNY’s Chelsea Janes.
Even with Holmes in the mix, the Mets still may need a true headliner at the top. Freddy Peralta is mentioned as a possibility, though he could be on the move at the deadline and has underperformed in orange and blue.
If the Mets want a bigger swing, Tarik Skubal is the name to watch in November. The Tigers ace is set to hit free agency no matter what happens at the deadline, and he would be the kind of arm that changes the whole look of the rotation. In 14 games this season, the back-to-back Cy Young winner has a 2.83 ERA, 98 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP.
That kind of move would likely require David Stearns to step outside his comfort zone, especially with Skubal projected to command a record-high deal worth more than $350 million. Kevin Gausman and Freddy Peralta are other free-agent possibilities, while the trade market could also include Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcantara.
For now, though, Thornton’s rise - along with Scott’s - is giving the Mets something they badly needed: real building blocks for the future.
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