Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana rave about young Mets pitchers: ‘Future is bright’

Two of the most significant pitching acquisitions in Mets history have been watching with interest as the team’s next generation of arms has arrived in Flushing. 

Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana were back at Citi Field for Saturday’s alumni game, and they shared their impressions on the Mets’ usage and reliance on rookies Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat in their September rotation. 

“I think the Mets look bright for the future,” Martinez said on the field before the festivities. “I hope they continue to draft well and that they continue to go international and get some guys. 

“But I think it’s great to see. That’s gonna feel great for these kids. It’s sooner than we expected, but it’s gonna build some grit. The good thing is, if they happen to have success right now as rookies, by the second year, they feel like they can be successful at a very early age. That’s what we want. We want to see the young players develop quickly and also build the grit to have failure and also enjoy success.” 

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The first-ballot Hall of Famer, who posted 32 of his 219 wins while pitching for the Mets from 2005-08, said the trio of freshmen starters reminds him of 2015, when the Mets reached the World Series with young stars Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey and rookies Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz as part of their rotation. 

Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner who threw the only no-hitter in Mets history in 2012, agreed. 

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“I think they have great arms. I think they have great futures,” Santana said. “I think it’s a matter of time for them to blend in and with a few more games, to get their feet wet. I think it’s a great talent that they have and I’m looking forward to [watching] it. Because I think the future is bright.” 

Tong endured his first rough outing in Friday’s series opener against deGrom and the Rangers, allowing six runs in the first inning.

Sproat was excellent Saturday, allowing no runs over six innings with no walks before the bullpen imploded in a 3-2 Mets loss to the Rangers.

McClean is scheduled to get his next chance Sunday. 

“You need to have a creative vision. The Mets right now have a great display of players from all over, and I hope they continue to do that,” Martinez added. “I hope they continue to bring in more homegrown talent like they did with deGrom and David Wright and all those guys. I would love to see them do a lot more of that.”