How R.J. Gordon reinvented himself to join Mets’ pitching wave

A quick look at R.J. Gordon’s player page won’t tell you much about the summer he got drafted.

The Mets prospect didn’t throw a single professional pitch in 2024 after getting taken in the 13th round, which isn’t all that surprising given that the right-hander threw a career-high 94 ⅔ innings at Oregon in the spring.

But behind the scenes as he shuttled between the Mets’ facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and his home in Southern California, Gordon was in the midst of what became a transformation.

Gordon had missed the entire 2023 college season after undergoing elbow surgery, and though he returned the following year to lead the Ducks in innings, his mechanics never got to the point to where he wanted them as he finished with a 5.13 ERA.