Non-Roster Invitee Preview: Daniel Duarte

Daniel Duarte has spent most of the winter being unhittable.

The 29-year-old righty absolutely tore up the Mexican Winter League over 25 games (24 innings), not allowing a single earned run. He allowed only 20 hits, four walks and one unearned run while striking out 23 batters. That’s good for a 0.583 WHIP and a 3.8 H/9. In a couple of weeks, we’ll see if his strong winter will carry over to the spring.

The Mets signed Duarte to a minor league deal with a non-roster invite in mid-December. Duarte hasn’t pitched in the majors since a season-ending elbow surgery in May 2024 that caused him to miss all of 2025. Before his surgery, he pitched 38 1/3 innings in the majors across three seasons with a 3.99 ERA (6.11 FIP) and 1.383 WHIP. He’s a groundball pitcher, inducing grounders 50% of the time back in 2023. Before Duarte’s surgery, he tossed a mid-90s four-seamer and sinker. He also mixed in a low-90s cutter, low-90s changeup and a low-to-mid-80s slider.

Duarte will represent Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Mexico is in a group with the United States, Great Britain and Italy. Duarte’s winter begs the question about what will happen when he faces more major league hitters. Will the Mets use him early enough in games the last week of February so he faces major league hitters before going off to the WBC?

It is difficult for NRI pitchers to break camp with the Mets, given their current roster construction and some of the other pitchers in camp on NRI deals. The Mets did set a record in 2025 with 46 different pitchers used in a single season. If he sticks with the Mets after spring training, we’ll probably see Duarte on the major league roster at some point in 2026.

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