Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Wisconsin's best prospect this year, Kussow flies under the radar more than he should. Like a lot of prep pitchers from cold-weather states, he lacks consistency, but he also looks like he belongs in the third round on his best days. He has the makings of a promising three-pitch repertoire and a projectable 6-foot-5 frame.

Kussow works with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 97 mph with some carry and armside run. He can overpower hitters with a high-spin slider that climbs as high as 88 mph with two-plane break. He hasn't needed to use it much, but his mid-80s changeup has encouraging fade and depth.

Kussow's size and ability to get down the mound well create a low release point and extension that make it difficult for hitters to pick up his pitches. He doesn't have the smoothest delivery, which further adds to his deception, though it also can compromise his ability to throw strikes. If he doesn't turn pro this summer, he could become one of the best college pitchers in the 2028 class after three years at Louisville.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Gavin Lux, Jarred Kelenic and JD Dix have been the most prominent high school bats to come out of Wisconsin in the last decade, and the state deserves credit for being the home of 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin before he shipped off to Missouri State. But the Badger State has been considerably lighter on prep arms, at least until 2025. Kussow was Wisconsin’s top prospect heading into last year’s Draft and ended up being the only player from the state selected when the Mets took him in the fourth round. His $897,500 bonus was more akin to mid-third-round money and was the highest-ever paid to a Wisconsin high school pitcher.

New York has favored college arms higher up in the Draft in recent years, but it isn’t hard to see what they see in Kussow to change strategy. Standing 6-foot-5, the right-hander generates good extension and gets down the mound to create a low release point that make him difficult to read. He showed a low-90s fastball as a prepster and touched 97 with carry and armside run. An upper-80s, high-spin slider gives him a breaking-ball weapon that could take off under the Mets’ guidance, and there are the workings of a mid-80s changeup in there.

Kussow’s delivery was under some scrutiny as an amateur, and he’ll likely need to smooth out his mechanics to deliver strikes consistently on the pro side. As a cold-weather arm, he has a lot of potential that the Mets, who have made tremendous gains in pitching development in recent years, could tap into in the coming years. That in-game development will have to wait until 2027 after preseason labrum surgery on his pitching shoulder pushed him to the full-season injured list for '26.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Wisconsin's best prospect this year, it seemed like Kussow flew under the radar more than he should have. Like a lot of prep pitchers from cold-weather states, he lacked consistency, but he also looked like he belonged as a Day 1 pick in his best outings, thanks to a promising three-pitch repertoire and a projectable 6-foot-5 frame. The Mets took him in the fourth round and went above slot to sign him for $897,500.

Kussow works with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 97 mph with some carry and armside run. He can overpower hitters with a high-spin slider that climbs as high as 88 mph with two-plane break. He hasn't needed to use it much, but his mid-80s changeup has encouraging fade and depth.

Kussow's size and ability to get down the mound well create a low release point and extension that make it difficult for hitters to pick up his pitches. He doesn't have the smoothest delivery, which further adds to his deception, though it also can compromise his ability to throw strikes. The Mets have put together an impressive pitching program in recent years, and Kussow has the makings of a potential success story for the organization.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/18/2026	FCL Mets placed RHP Peter Kussow on the full-season injured list.
	03/05/2026	RHP Peter Kussow assigned to New York Mets Prospects.
	08/04/2025	RHP Peter Kussow assigned to FCL Mets.
	07/21/2025	New York Mets signed RHP Peter Kussow.
	06/03/2025	RHP Peter Kussow assigned to College Workout.
	07/28/2024	RHP Peter Kussow assigned to High School Workout.
	06/30/2024	High School Workout activated RHP Peter Kussow.