Christmas came with costumes this week, and the New York Mets leaned into the season. Clay Holmes played Santa, while Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong dressed as elves at a team holiday event. Three of the New York Mets’ top pitching prospects in elf hats at the same time, a fun visual that doubled as a reminder of just how much young pitching this organization has stockpiled.
Those elves are not the only pitchers in the system who fit the theme. Another former top prospect belongs in that group as well. The last time fans saw this elf, he was starting games. The next time they see him, he will be coming off the shelf, and the Mets will need to decide how to get the most out of that arm as he works back into the staff.
The Elf on the Shelf, Christian Scott, belongs in the Mets bullpen in 2026
Scott’s status entering 2026 is not a mystery. In 2024, he was a Top 100 prospect in baseball and climbed as high as the Mets’ number two prospect before injuries interrupted the climb. He made two separate trips to the majors, five starts in May and four more in July, before landing on the injured list late in the season and eventually undergoing a hybrid form of Tommy John surgery.
David Stearns confirmed at the Winter Meetings that Scott will be a full participant in spring training, which puts the Mets in a position of choice rather than necessity. With rotation spots already spoken for and the front office still working to add another top-end starter, forcing Scott back into a starting role right away would feel more like impatience than planning. Starting the season in the bullpen gives the Mets something they value: control. Control over innings, usage, recovery, and how often Scott has to turn a lineup over before he is fully built back up.
There is also a baseball case that goes beyond workload management. In his nine major league starts, right-handed hitters managed just a .167 BAA. His sweeper played as a real weapon, holding hitters to a .194 average, and while his four-seam fastball was hit to a .265 average, the damage stayed manageable. The wOBA against that pitch sat at .308, below league average.
The bullpen would also let Scott lean into one of his quieter strengths. His walk rate sat at 6.1 percent across those starts, a trait that plays immediately in relief. The remaining issues still need to be addressed. He needs to do a better job limiting home runs and handling left-handed hitters. Those are far easier problems to address in shorter stints than while navigating six innings at a time.
This does not close the door on Scott as a starter long-term. It opens the right one first. Let him come off the shelf and impact games without asking too much too soon. If the Mets are serious about getting the most out of Christian Scott this season, the bullpen is not a fallback. It is the smartest place to start.