PORT ST. LUCIE — Josh Edgin may not crack the Mets’ opening day roster, but is emerging as another potentially exciting young pitcher within the organization.
The 25-year-old lefty reliever rates among the Mets’ biggest surprises in camp, having impressed team brass with a live fastball and fearless mound approach. In four appearances this spring, he has pitched four shutout innings with seven strikeouts.
Though the Mets have anywhere from 2-3 vacancies in their bullpen, depending on Tim Byrdak’s opening day status following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the plan for now seems to include taking it slow with Edgin, who posted a 2.16 ERA with 27 saves last year split between Single-A Savannah and St. Lucie.
“I’m not going to talk about major leagues right now for him,” pitching coach Dan Warthen said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if some time this year we saw him.”
Edgin began the spring in minor league camp, but earned an invite to the big league side last week. He features a mid-90s fastball, change-up and slider.
And he hasn’t appeared intimidated by major league hitters.
“I’m a big boy — it takes a lot to intimidate me,” said the 6-foot-1, 225 pound Edgin. “I guess I can relate it back to wrestling, where it was 1-on-1 when we wrestled in high school and it’s the same exact mentality you have to have here — it’s 1-on-1, me versus him.”
Edgin won a state championship in wrestling as a junior at Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy, but gave up the sport as a senior, after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder.
The wrestler’s approach never left him, as his baseball career took him to Ohio State and Francis Marion University. The Mets selected him in the 30th round of the 2010 draft.
“The mentality I guess is just go out, and it’s that tunnel vision,” Edgin said.
Against lefties, Edgin struck out 28 of 77 batters last season. In 100 2/3 professional innings overall he has struck out 122.
“I got a really good first impression of him when we were here in early camp,” catcher Josh Thole said. “He was out here throwing a bullpen and [Mike] Nickeas was catching him said to me, ‘Come and look at this guy.’ And that ball was coming out heavy and just cutting, and with really good command.
“For a lefty who has that kind of frame and the way the ball comes out of his hand … it’s effortless, and it’s really hard when it hits the mitt. You can feel the thump. The ball is naturally cutting, and to have command of that I think is a huge asset to him.”
Edgin’s work ethic has also been noticed.
“He came down here on his own — worked out early,” Warthen said. “He’s been here forever. I love everything I’ve seen from him. He’s definitely opened a lot of eyes.”
Edgin said the next step will be refining his changeup.
“Hopefully I’m making an impression,” he said. “As time goes on maybe I will, but I’ve got a few things to work on.
“They obviously called me up [to spring training] because I had something they like, and I’m going to keep working hard to get to where I want to be.”