Mets 2023 Prospect Wraps: Coleman Crow

InsideTheMets.com will review each of the New York Mets’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 29: RHP Coleman Crow, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Statistics for 2023: 2-0, 1.88 ERA, four games (all starts). Threw 24 innings, gave up nine hits, five runs (all earned), struck out 31 and walked six. Opponents batted .114 against him and he had a 0.90 WHIP. (Note: All stats were with Rocket City, the Los Angeles Angels’ Double-A affiliate).

Season Transactions: Crow started the season with the Los Angeles Angles organization. On May 12 the Rocket City Trash Pandas put him on the 7-day injured list. On June 24, the Angels traded Crow and right-handed pitcher Landon Marceaux to the Mets for third baseman Eduardo Escobar. On June 24 the Mets assigned Crow to Binghamton. He is on the Binghamton injured list after Tommy John surgery.

Season Summary: His first four starts at Rocket City, quite frankly, were terrific. An average of six innings per start, a 5-to-1 strikeout/walk ratio and a sub-.200 opponent batting average? Any team will take that. But the elbow injury turned into Tommy John surgery and now the Mets have a project they’ll have to wait for until at least 2025 to get a true gauge of where his future lies.

Road Through the Organization: The Angels drafted Crow in the 28th round in 2019 and paid him $317,500 in over-slot money. That got him to turn his back on his commitment to Kennesaw State. The 2020 cancellation of minor league baseball slowed his development. But he got attention with a 1.59 ERA in the 2021 Arizona Fall League and then put quality numbers in 2022 and 2023 with Rocket City. He put up incredibly efficient numbers before an elbow issue put him on the shelf and the Angels traded him as part of the Escobar deal.

What’s next: Tommy John recovery. The Mets knew the 22-year-old would need time when they made the deal and they’re betting that Crow can reclaim his efficient 2023 numbers at some point. His MLB.com scouting report describes a pitcher the cusp of knowing what to do with a four-pitch repertoire, even though the fastball doesn’t hit the mid-90s consistently. If he pitches at all in 2024, it’s likely to be with either the Florida Complex League Mets or Class-A St. Lucie.

2023 New York Mets Top 30 Prospect Wraps:

No. 30: Kade Morris