Christian Scott posted a 3.85 ERA over 110 innings in 2026, establishing himself as one of the Mets’ more reliable rotation options after missing all of 2025 following a combined Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure. Talk about flying under the radar. Most eyes were glued to Nolan McLean as the team’s brightest young arm, touted as the future ace, especially after his eye-catching 2025 stint. Then you had Jonah Tong rocketing up the prospect rankings with his own 2025 debut, plus names like Jack Wenninger, Jonathan Santucci, and Zac Thornton getting fans hyped. Scott? He was an afterthought, pretty much.
The Comeback Nobody Expected
It’s easy to forget Scott was actually the Mets’ fifth-best prospect going into the 2024 season, according to Amazin’ Avenue. That’s when he first got the call to the show. His numbers back then, a 4.56 ERA, a 4.60 FIP, and a 1.24 WHIP over 47 1/3 innings across nine starts, weren’t exactly mind-blowing. But he flashed some real potential, especially in his debut where he gave up just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings. That earned him some buzz before the injury sidelined him for 18 long months. Returning from Tommy John is a crapshoot, right? Nobody knew if those 2024 glimpses would still be there. He didn’t break camp with the big club, which is no surprise, but he got his chance on April 23 and stuck around all year. His first game back was modest, just 1 1/3 innings against the Twins, allowing one run, walking five, and striking out one. But after that, he absolutely took off.
The Nitty-Gritty Numbers and The One Glaring Issue
Over 23 starts, Scott put up those stellar numbers: a 3.85 ERA, a 3.61 FIP, a 1.27 WHIP, 134 strikeouts, 47 walks, and 1.7 bWAR in 110 innings. He was a much better pitcher across the board, showing real improvement in areas he struggled with before. It’s a huge step forward, no doubt. If there’s one thing you gotta nail down, though, it’s the walks. That was noticeable from his very first start back, remember those five free passes? Among 120 major league starters who threw at least 100 innings in 2026, Scott had the 18th-highest BB/9 (3.85) and the 19th-highest BB% (9.9%). He walked at least three batters six times and at least four batters four times in his 23 starts. Contrast that with his smaller sample size in 2024, when he had a 2.28 BB/9 and a 6.1% BB%.
He’s proven he can be a reliable arm in the rotation, which is huge after a major surgery like that. The next step for Scott is obvious: rein in those walks. If he can tighten up that command, his future looks even brighter. He’s already shown us what he can do, and that’s something to really look forward to.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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