Overview
- Thornton threw six innings and allowed two runs in the Mets' 6-3 win over the Phillies on Friday, a performance that lowered his season ERA to 3.40 and extended a run of quality starts.
- The 24-year-old rookie has a 1.15 WHIP across 79.1 innings and has walked two or fewer batters in 13 of his 14 major-league starts, a hallmark of his command-first approach.
- Andy Green praised Thornton’s competitiveness while outlining concrete offseason goals: add roughly 10 pounds, raise his fastball from the low-90s toward the mid-90s, and refine his changeup and curveball.
- Green stressed that a rotation spot is not automatic after 14 good starts and said Thornton must keep proving himself as the Mets evaluate internal options such as Nolan McLean and Christian Scott.
- If Thornton achieves the physical gains and pitch development Green outlined, the Mets could gain a cost-controlled starter for 2027, a factor that may shape the club’s offseason roster choices.