Born: 10/08/1999 in Kankakee, IL
Draft: 2022, New York Mets, Round: 6, Overall Pick: 179
College: Southern Mississippi
6'9", 250LBS
B/T: R/R
Acquired via trade with the Mets on July 27, 2024 for Jesse Winker
https://www.milb.com/player/tyler-stuart-701603Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
Stuart worked mostly as a reliever at Southern Miss and in the Cape Cod League, but after his selection in the sixth round in 2022, the Mets transitioned him to starter -- and a statistically impressive one at that. The right-hander led full-season Minor League qualifiers with a 2.20 ERA and ranked 12th among the 183 on that list with his 1.10 WHIP over 110 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. That said, his numbers at the higher level were closer to pedestrian (3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 19.3 percent K rate) as he faced more advanced bats.
Standing 6-foot-9 (yes, 6-foot-9), Stuart tends to start with his low-80s slider, which he threw roughly half the time in 2023, and for good reason. The pitch can show good two-plane break and sweep, leading to above-average whiff rates especially when it’s located on the edges of the zone. But it can hang in the zone at other times and get appropriately thumped. His 91-94 mph fastball shows sink and run in the other direction and can be tough to square up from his low three-quarters arm slot, giving him two potentially above-average pitches. Stuart’s changeup remains a distant third option.
Stuart didn’t walk more than 7.6 percent of his batters faced at either level in 2023, and he fills the zone better than expected for someone his size. That control is one reason why the Mets wanted to give him starting looks in the pros, but he needs a more well-rounded arsenal to lock in that status. Given he’s already 24 year olds with more high-ceiling arms in the system, he might head back to relief as he nears Flushing unless he proves he can dominate again with the fastball-slider combo.
Longerhagen:
Stuart is a strike-throwing behemoth who has kept his walk rates down in the 2.5 per 9 IP range since entering pro ball. He’s now accumulated 14 efficient Double-A starts and is marching toward a post-2025 40-man add. Stuart’s stuff isn’t dominant and he probably needs to find a better changeup or split to avoid an eventual bulk relief role, but his durability and command give him a really high floor. He is mostly going to live in the low 90s with both a two- and four-seamer while commanding an average slider to his glove side. His ability to vary his fastball shape helps keep him off the barrel and is a big reason why he’s run groundball rates around 50%. He’s a low-variance sixth starter type.
