Mets drafting top pitcher Christian Scott likely to make MLB debut Saturday

Christian Scottperhaps the most anticipated Mets pitching prospect since Matt Harveyis receiving the call.

According to multiple reports, including SNY contributor Joe DeMayo, Scott will be called up and will likely make his major league debut in Tampa against the Rays on Saturday. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel was first to report the news.

It is currently unknown what this means for the current makeup of the Mets rotation.

Scott, SNY’s sixth overall pick and the organization’s highest-ranked pitcher, has risen quickly through the Mets’ system since being selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft.

A reliever at the University of Florida, the Mets decided to extend Scott as a starter, and it paid off. After posting a 2.47 ERA in 12 starts with Double-A Binghamton in 2023, Scott followed this season by pitching to a 3.20 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 25.1 innings with Triple-A Syracuse.

Scott told SNY’s Danny Abriano It was mid-April that he felt he was ready for big league action.

“I feel ready,” Scott said. “I’m not focused on that, per se. I would say I’ll go there every time I get the ball. Whatever the level, I’m going to go out there and try to win as many games as I can. I think the Mets did an unbelievable job of being honest with me and knowing what to expect.”

The 24-year-old features a fastball in the 97-98 MPH range, as well as a nasty slider, splitter and sweeper that he recently added to his arsenal.

The question with Scott, in terms of his MLB debut, has always been a question of if, not when.

“Scotty is doing exactly what he needs to do,” Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said in an interview at the end of April. “David [Stearns] mentioned this in his presser, but major league needs versus developing prospects and their trajectory in terms of where they are in their career arc sometimes have to align.

“So that’s where we are with him and I think the challenge for Scotty right now is to continue to be consistent out there. He’s a major league pitcher, his time will come, it’s just a matter of when.”