Zac Thornton showing he can be key option for Mets 2027 rotation

Eighteen pitchers in Mets history have concluded their first 10 major league starts with a sub-3.00 ERA.There have been rocket ships such as Tom Seaver (2.64), Nolan Ryan (2.80) and Matt Harvey (2.73).Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

There is at least the making of a promising arm in Nolan McLean (2.16).There have been footnotes such as Masato Yoshii (2.25) and Charlie Puleo (2.94).And now there is a curiosity who might be turning into something more because through his first 10 major league starts, Zac Thornton’s ERA is 2.88.With the 2026 season unofficially over, the 2027 rotation is looking a bit more promising every time the lefty is given the ball.

Tuesday that meant Thornton holding down the Brewers — who entered as the fourth-highest-scoring offense in the sport — for six innings in which he allowed just one run during a 3-2 victory at Citi Field.“I thought I did a fine job just kind of changing speeds on them, basically one through nine, kind of used all the pitches,” said the left-hander, who mixed in seven distinct pitches, six of which induced a swing-and-miss.He did not issue a walk and threw 62 of his 89 pitches for strikes.A pitcher known for guile had a bit more gas, maxing out at 95.4 mph and later acknowledging with a smile, “I’m definitely seeing those 95s up there.”He would love to maintain that velocity, but it’s possible he was a bit fresher pitching on six days’ rest.

Whether he has the extra tick or not, he continues to impress for a club that might be beginning to pencil him in to the 2027 rotation.“I think he is who we thought he was: a fearless competitor who doesn’t care who gets in the batter’s box,” said interim manager Andy Green, “who might give up a home run on the first pitch of the game, and the rest of the game, he’s going to do what he does.”Thornton only allowed one fourth-inning run — w...