Preseason AA ranking: 20
2015 stats (excludes last night): 2.06 ERA; 2.85 FIP; 22.1% strikeout rate; 6.7% walk rate
Season to date
Michael Fulmer didn't make his 2015 debut until April 26th after being held back in extended spring training as he recovered from offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus. After one start in St. Lucie, Fulmer was transferred back to Binghamton where he pitched fine, posting a 3.86 ERA in his first six starts there. His 15.3% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate over those starts did not inspire confidence that Fulmer could live up to the hype of being a former first round pick and top 100 prospect. However, his next six have been dominant; he has a 0.48 ERA, a 29.1% strikeout rate, and a 3.6% walk rate over 37.1 innings.
Why he ranks here
If there's a post-hype sleeper in the Mets system it's Fulmer, who has battled injuries in each of the two seasons since he jumped onto the scene in 2012 with a 2.74 ERA in a full season in Savannah. Fulmer has attributed his resurgence to finally being healthy for the first time in a couple years and it's showing up not just in his results but also in his stuff. Over this run of dominance Fulmer has been sitting in the mid-90s with the fastball, flashing a sharp slider and a plus change, the combination of which has been overwhelming for Double-A hitters. The Mets have a fantastic track record of developing hard throwing pitching prospects over the past couple years so it wouldn't surprise me if Fulmer was pitching in the majors in some capacity this time in 2016.
Tempered enthusiasm from Lukas:
"Fulmer is finally healthy and seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on. Over his first six starts with Binghamton he had a 4.06 FIP and 5.6% strikeout minus walk percentage, while over his last six he has a 1.79 FIP and 25.5% strikeout minus walk percentage. Even with the arbitrary endpoints caveat, those numbers are impressive. Fulmer's delivery and injury risk have a good chance of making him a bullpen arm in the future, but right now his stock is shooting up. - Lukas Vlahos