The Mets Next Breakout Reliever? An Analysis of Tyler Zuber
An under-the-radar trade deadline acquisition, Tyler Zuber is grinding this offseason to become a household name among Mets fans
Tyler Zuber, acquired by the New York Mets from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league reliever Paul Gervase at the 2024 trade deadline, has flown under the radar. With limited MLB experience, Zuber is now working tirelessly to cement himself as a key component of the Mets bullpen in 2025. The 29-year-old right-hander has been grinding this offseason with Pitching Coach “U,” an independent pitching development company. Zuber has uploaded multiple pictures and videos documenting his progress, drawing attention for some nasty pitches.
In this article, I’ll break down what Zuber is doing this offseason, how it will improve him, and include input from the man himself.
The Sweeper
The driving force for me deciding to finally to reach out to Zuber was seeing this picture he posted on X of a pitch from a bullpen session.
Trackman Mobile, used to measure pitch movement, can be inaccurate indoors, so the gaudy 10.8 inches of IVB on Zuber’s sweeper might not hold up in-game. That level of IVB is rare for a sweeper or slider—most fastballs don’t even reach it. In 2024, only 1,458 sweepers or sliders (0.18% of all pitches) featured 5 to 11 inches of IVB and 18 or more inches of glove-side HB.
Stuff wise Zuber’s sweeper is elite, backed by a 111 Stuff+ rating from TJstats. However, its performance lagged—below-average chase and whiff rates, 14 extra-base hits (5 HR) allowed in 37.2 AAA innings, a 41% Hard Hit rate, and a .456 SLG (.416 xSLG).
Addressing Two-Strikes and Left-Handed Hitters
When looking at his heatmaps from AAA you get an idea of why his sweeper performed so poorly in 2024, he consistently left it over the middle of the plate.
The sweeper, Zuber’s unicorn breaking ball, wasn’t getting the same chase and whiffs following his transition from the Rays to the Mets. “My initial observation was poor sights to aim with the sweeper, but it came down to my grip slightly changing,” Zuber explained. “I worked on eyesight changes, grip changes back to my old one, and trusting the shape to get to its intended location.”
Zuber credits Yankees pitcher Michael King for helping him find his ideal grip.
“Michael King’s grip is how I hold mine,” Zuber said. “If you’ve seen it on Pitching Ninja, that’s the grip that works for me. It allows me to get the shape I need.” When asked about his cues for throwing the pitch, he explained, “I focus on getting to the side of the ball, throwing it like I’m skipping a rock—or a dinner tray—and throwing it hard.”
Video courtesy of MLB
Adding New Weapons
When asked about his focus after being traded to the Mets, Zuber explained, “My biggest issues were two-strike execution and sweeper shape. I also struggled against lefties, so I wanted to improve my two-strike execution and develop a changeup to combat lefties.”
To address these challenges, Zuber developed the “kick change”, a new grip designed to generate significant drop. “Kick change is my grip,” Zuber said. “I love the grip; it’s allowed me to get the shape I need and the action needed to create the downward action. Negative vertical break is the goal.”
The green dots on this movement chart represent changeups he threw in 2024, but his goal for 2025 is to refine the pitch to achieve negative vertical break or below the “0” line, making it more effective against left-handed hitters.
In addition to perfecting his sweeper and changeup, Zuber has brought back a sinker to his arsenal, a pitch he had abandoned after surgery. However, this isn’t the same sinker he used to throw.
“I used to pronate it and get splitter action,” Zuber said. “Now it’s more of using seam shift. It’s a one-seam sinker—just throwing normal, no thoughts of pronating. Using seam effects to get it to sink. I used it the last week of the season and got good results.”
Mets Pitching Development: “So Far, So Good”
Zuber has been impressed with the resources and expertise within the Mets’ pitching development system.
“There are a lot of smart people to bounce ideas off of,” he said. “Everyone has their own niche that makes them good. The Mets system is good—they have a lot of resources to make you the best pitcher you can be and coaches with different mindsets to help connect with you as a pitcher.”
One highlight for Zuber has been the Mets’ “pitching lab”, a state-of-the-art facility designed for advanced analysis and development. Eric Jagers, a founding member of Driveline Baseball and now the Mets’ Director of Pitching Development is responsible for running this lab. Something Mets owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns have been adamant about is being able to develop both young and older pitchers looking to get their careers back on track (think Luis Severino and Sean Manaea).
“I went to the lab for one session—it was pretty elite. I’m excited to use it more,” Zuber said.
Relief vs. Starting: What Does the Future Hold?
While Zuber enjoys being a reliever, he’s open to new opportunities. With his revamped pitch mix and adding a sinker he has a 5-pitch starter like pitch mix.
“I’ve joked about starting since the day I was drafted,” Zuber said. “If someone ever approached me and wanted me to, I would. But, personally, I enjoy relieving. I’ll do whatever is asked of me, though.”
Suggestions for 2025: Maximizing Zuber’s Arsenal
To unlock Zuber’s full potential, the Mets might consider encouraging him to refine his regular slider get it more to where I drew the yellow box. A more traditional gyro slider would differentiate itself from his revamped sweeper, which already features a unique profile with significantly more rise than most sweepers. Adding a pitch with a distinct movement profile could help Zuber keep hitters off balance and maximize his effectiveness in high-leverage situations.
With his sweeper shape dialed in, a revamped sinker, new changeup and a growing familiarity with the Mets’ resources, Zuber is poised to be a surprising asset in the 2025 bullpen. If he can execute his two-strike pitches and continue improving against lefties, Zuber could be a key piece towards helping solidify an uncertain Mets bullpen.