Free Agent Profile: Michael Kopech, RP

Michael Kopech, RP

Position: RP B/T: R/R
Age: 29 (4/30/1996)
2025 Traditional Stats: 14 G, 6 HLD, 11 IP, 0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 12 SO, 13 BB
2025 Advanced Stats: 174 ERA+, 22.6% K%, 24.5% BB%, 4.65 xERA, 4.50 FIP, 5.76 xFIP, 0.2 bWAR, 0.0 fWAR

Rundown

Since converting to a reliever role full-time at the start of 2024, Michael Kopech has posted a 3.32 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, with a 30.1% K rate and 14.2% BB rate across 78.2 innings. Across 35 innings since being traded to the Dodgers in 2024, he has pitched to a 1.54 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with a 29.1% K rate and 16.3% BB rate.

The 29-year-old missed a significant amount of the 2025 season with arm inflammation, then tore his meniscus soon after he returned in early June 2025. He is expected to be ready for the 2025 season.

Kopech throws three plus pitches: a four-seam fastball that averages 98.7 mph and 18 inches of iBV, a 92.5 mph changeup, and a 91.2 mph cutter. He throws his pitches pretty evenly against left-handed and right-handed hitters and relies heavily on the swing and miss.

His standout pitch is his fastball. Over the last three years, it has topped out at 102 mph, and in 2025, batters hit .102 against it. In 2024, they hit .183 against it. He throws it with 18 inches of iBV, 2619 RPM of spin, and -4 VAA.

In 2024, Kopech threw a tight slider 14.1% of the time with 2,537 RMP of spin, but he did not throw it in his 11 innings in 2025, opting to throw his cutter almost twice as much, up from 8.6% to 16.5%. He did throw that slider 2.7% of the time in his rehab appearances in Triple-A, so it does not seem he has eliminated that pitch.

After not throwing his changeup at all in 2024, he reintroduced it in 2025. He only threw his changeup twice in the majors, but he threw it 7.7% of the time in his rehab appearances in Triple-A. This changeup is different than the one he threw as a starter. As a starter, he threw an 88.7 mph changeup with 7.6 inches of iBV and 14.6 inches of horizontal break. He threw it out of the zone to try to generate swings and misses. His new changeup sits at 91.2 mph with 7.5 inches of iBV and 11.9 inches of horizontal break, and he predominantly throws in the zone to suppress contact.

His cutter has remained largely unchanged and is his primary swing and miss pitch. In 2025, it was his put-away pitch 29.4% of the time. He threw it with a very high spin rate at 2,589 RPM, which helped hold batters to a .174 batting average in 2024. With -4.9 inches of horizontal break, he can tunnel it well with his slider.

Contract

MLB Trade Rumors did not project a contract for Michael Kopech but Tim Britton of the Athletic projects him to sign a two-year, $22 million contract. This puts him in line with contracts signed last year by A.J. Minter, Carlos Estévez, and Blake Treinen.

Recommendation: Try to Sign

With Edwin Díaz signing with the Dodgers, the Mets could use another back-end reliever. Specifically, at this moment, they could use a reliever with a high velocity fastball as their projected bullpen does not contain one on the major league roster. Few pitchers throw as consistently hard as Michael Kopech, and he may be exactly what the Mets bullpen needs.

While his high walk rate is alarming, he is an interesting buy-low candidate who fits with David Stearns’ bullpen philosophy on high-ceiling relievers.

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