Matt Allan, a starting-pitching prospect once ranked amongst the New York Mets’ top talents, underwent UCL revision surgery that will hold him out for the entire 2023 season and potentially some of the 2024 campaign, the team announced Saturday.
The 21-year-old right-hander has been plagued by injuries throughout his young career within the Mets’ organization having not pitched in a game since 2019, derailing any legitimate hopes of rising through the club’s ranks. He is currently ranked as the team’s No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
After missing the entire 2020 season due to COVID-19, he missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
In total, he’s appeared in just six games as a member of the organization, including just one with its Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones.
The Florida native initially showed the kind of arsenal (mid-to-upper-90s fastball, plus curveball) to make him a top draft prospect in 2019, but a $4 million asking price allowed the Mets to nab him in the third round at No. 89 overall. They signed him for $2.5 million.
Considering this is the second time that Allan has torn his UCL, the prospects of working his way up toward a career in the majors dwindles significantly. Nathan Eovaldi and Jameson Taillon are two examples of the slim list of pitchers who have found some success in the majors after undergoing multiple procedures on the UCL. However, his age is a plus — potentially allowing him to get back on the hill by his age 23 season.
For more on Matt Allan and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
