WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Upon arriving in Port St. Lucie, Dominic Hamel sat for an introductory meeting with David Stearns.
The promising starting pitching prospect told the new Mets president of baseball operations a bit about himself and about his goals, notably to reach Queens as soon as possible.
“I like to win. I like to compete. I like to pitch,” Hamel said he told Stearns. “And if I can, I’d like to help the team as soon as I can.
“I know you’ve got your own expectations for me, but I’ve got my own as well. I want to be up there [in the majors]. I want to be an immediate-impact guy. But that all comes by coming in here day by day, stacking days.”
The moment will not arrive as soon as Hamel would want, but the No. 14 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline, is on the team’s radar.
Hamel, who led all Mets minor leaguers last season with 160 strikeouts (in 124 innings), was a third-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in 2021 who has steadily moved up the system and spent all of last year at Double-A Binghamton, where he consistently induced whiffs and finished with a 3.85 ERA.
The righty got stronger as the season got longer, figuring out a newly developed sweeper that had given him trouble and ending his year with 21 ²/₃ consecutive scoreless innings.
Last year was about the sweeper for Hamel, who excels largely with an elite ability to spin four-seam fastballs, curveballs and sliders.
This year might be about a cutter after former Yankees mind and new Mets Triple-A pitching coach Grayson Crawford taught him a new grip.
“A lot of the scouting reports are like, ‘fastball, slider,’” Hamel said. “If I can just work a cutter in there, it’s just one more look.”
The Grapefruit League has not been kind to Hamel, who entered in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game against the Astros and faced two batters in the pouring rain.
He walked one and induced a ground out before the game was called.
Hamel was then reassigned to minor league camp.
Hamel will not break camp with the major league team, but he is among a deep class of Mets starting pitching prospects who is hoping to finish off his minor league education quickly.
“I know I bust my ass. I know I’ve made good jumps,” Hamel said. “If I keep doing that, it’s just a matter of time. I’m trying to leave [Stearns] no choice.”
With Wednesday’s game canceled, the Mets will move their starting pitchers back a day.
Jose Quintana, who was supposed to start Wednesday, will pitch Thursday against the Nationals.
Kodai Senga, who received a PRP shot for his right shoulder strain Feb. 23, is “continuing to say that he’s feeling good with the limited activity that he’s doing,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Senga is not supposed to resume throwing until at least March 15.
“He’s strengthening that shoulder,” Mendoza said. “So far, so good.”
Edwin Diaz felt fine a day after his first intrasquad scrimmage.
“All positive signs,” Mendoza said of Diaz, who is expected to pitch in a minor league game Friday.