Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45

Thornton was a well-traveled southpaw heading into the 2023 Draft with two years at Barton CC in Kansas, a year at Grand Canyon and summer stops in the Appalachian and MLB Draft Leagues. Taking advantage of the scouting attention brought by teammates Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr., he performed well enough as an Antelope to push himself into the fifth round, where the Mets took him and signed him for $350,000 in 2023. Thornton performed admirably at two A-ball stops in his first full season and broke out as a starter with a 1.98 ERA, 78 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 72 2/3 innings at High-A and Double-A before an oblique injury ended his 2025 in late June.

The 6-foot-3 left-hander cuts a thin figure on the bump but consistently repeats his delivery, leading to some of the best control in all of prospectdom. His fastball velocity only sits 89-92 mph (occasionally popping 95), but with some deception and ride on the heater, he can still put it past bats at the top rail. His 83-86 mph slider remains his best pitch. It’s a two-plane breaker that he can spot exceptionally well to the gloveside, and he isn’t afraid of bringing it in on righties. His upper-80s cutter gives him another chase-heavy pitch. His 82-84 mph changeup and slow mid-70s curveball occasionally get folded in but find the zone much less often than his other offerings.

Despite the lighter stuff, Thornton goes right after hitters with a bulldog mentality, and it served him well with a 4.0 percent walk rate in 2025, sixth-lowest among 691 Minor Leaguers with at least 70 frames. Unless additional velocity comes in his age-24 season and beyond, his ceiling is fairly capped at being a pitchability No. 5 starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 60 | Overall: 40

Thornton was a two-year JuCo performer at Barton Community College in his home state of Kansas before jumping to Grand Canyon as a junior in 2023, mixing in stops in the Appalachian and MLB Draft Leagues in between. While scouts came to see teammates Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr., the southpaw dominated on the bump and slid up to the fifth round to the Mets, signing for just under slot at $350,000. He was a solid performer at two A-ball levels in his first full season and has climbed to Double-A as a full-time starter, albeit one slowed by an oblique injury.

The 6-foot-3 left-hander has a deep arsenal without anything that truly pops off the page individually. His fastball touches 95 mph occasionally but generally sits 89-92. He can mix in both a four- and two-seamer to vary up the looks. His best pitch is an 83-86 mph slider -- a two-plane breaker that he can spot on a dime. He plays off that with an upper-80s cutter that hitters will chase outside of the zone. An 82-84 mph changeup and 75-77 mph curveball round out the arsenal.

The diversity of Thornton’s repertoire keeps hitters guessing, and with his loose, athletic delivery and an attack mentality, he can keep pouring in strikes, rarely putting himself behind in the count. That will remain his biggest strength as he works toward Queens. Thornton’s ceiling might be limited, but with his near-elite control, he won’t get in his own way of being a potential No. 5 starter.

Video scouting report »

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

Thornton spent two years at Barton Community College and was one of the better junior college players to transfer to a Division I program after logging some summer innings in both the Appalachian and Draft Leagues. He’s been a mainstay in Grand Canyon’s weekend rotation and has been a steady performer, no doubt benefitting from extra looks with scouts coming in to see teammates Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr.

While none of Thornton’s individual pitches jump off the page, he has a full repertoire and a good idea of how to use it. His fastball tops out at 93-94 mph and averages around 89-90, but he commands it well. His breaking stuff doesn’t have a ton of bite, but he can add and subtract from it and lands it all for strikes. His 80-mph changeup plays nicely off of his fastball-breaking ball combination.

Without a true out pitch, Thornton’s ceiling is limited to that of a back-end starter, but he never hurts himself with walks and manages to keep hitters off-balance enough to miss a good amount of bats. Athletic on the mound, he’s the type of steady left-handed college starter who invariably gets taken on Day 2 of the Draft.

Awards

EAS Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
05/25/2025

SAL Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
04/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/09/2026	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to New York Mets.
	03/05/2026	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to New York Mets Prospects.
	11/06/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated LHP Zach Thornton from the 60-day injured list.
	07/29/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies transferred LHP Zach Thornton from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	07/04/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed LHP Zach Thornton on the 7-day injured list.
	07/04/2025	Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed LHP Zach Thornton on the 7-day injured list.
	04/28/2025	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.
	08/01/2024	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.
	07/14/2024	St. Lucie Mets activated LHP Zach Thornton from the 7-day injured list.
	06/04/2024	St. Lucie Mets placed LHP Zach Thornton on the 7-day injured list.
	03/31/2024	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
	07/19/2023	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to FCL Mets.
	07/19/2023	New York Mets signed LHP Zach Thornton.
	06/15/2023	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to College Workout.
	05/31/2023	West Virginia Black Bears activated LHP Zach Thornton.
	05/31/2023	West Virginia Black Bears activated LHP Zach Thornton.
	02/08/2023	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to Grand Canyon Antelopes.
	07/09/2022	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to Elizabethton River Riders.
	05/22/2022	LHP Zach Thornton assigned to Mahoning Valley Scrappers.