Who is Vinny Nittoli? New York Mets calling up pitching prospect for game vs Phillies

Vinny Nittoli will get his chance to impress his new major-league club on Friday. The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they will promote the reliever on Friday.

Niittoli was recently a member of the Chicago Cubs but was traded earlier this month to the Mets. He's been in the minor leagues this season, holding a 3.81 ERA on 26 innings pitched.

He's coming off three consecutive scoreless outings in the minors, and New York is hurting for bullpen arms. It believes Nittoli's abilities will translate into the big leagues.

The Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. Vinnie Nittoli's first appearance this season could come against the team he was signed to last season.

Vinny Nittoli could provide relief for this New York Mets bullpen

The New York Mets bullpen has hit a wall. They're currently ranked 20th in the league with their 4.21 ERA. It isn't entirely their fault. The starting rotation hasn't been going deep into games, causing a big workload for the bullpen.

Vinny Nittoli has been a part of eight MLB teams. During that time, he has made a few appearances here and there. He was drafted in the 25th round by the Seattle Mariners in the 2014 MLB Draft. Since then, he's spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays twice, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees.

Nittoli relies on a three-pitch mix to get the job done. He usually throws his slider, followed by a four-seam fastball and a curveball. He likes to attack hitters at the top of the zone with his fastball and drop his offspeed pitches low and away.

Nittoli should provide solid middle relief and help set up games for the high-leverage arms at the end of the bullpen.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom