Mets’ Conlon Continues To Deal

NEW YORK—P.J. Conlon lacks an Irish accent, but the Belfast-born lefthander is bidding to become the first major league player born in that country since 1945.

A 13th-round pick in 2015 out of San Diego, Conlon opened the season at low Class A Columbia by going 7-0, 1.06 through eight starts. He recorded 7.6 strikeouts and 1.1 walks per nine innings.

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This performance comes on the heels of a sizzling pro debut last season, when Conlon didn’t allow an earned run in 17 relief innings at short-season Brooklyn.

The 22-year-old Conlon grew up in California, but only became a citizen as a high school senior. He was born in Northern Ireland and moved to the U.S. at age 2.

“I’ll say I was born in Ireland, and no one believes me because I talk just like normal,” Conlon said. “They think I’m messing with them, because they wouldn’t really expect that.”

Conlon admits he is not a hard-thrower. As a reliever last summer, his fastball sat at 89-91 mph and touched 92. Now, back in the rotation he sits at 87-89 mph and tops out at 90. He throws four- and two-seam fastballs as well as a changeup, curveball and slider.

Conlon is a strike-thrower. He has walked just six batters through 51 innings this season.

“I’ve been able to throw strikes with all of my pitches and mix speeds,” Conlon said. “I’m at my best when I can do that, when I’m able to throw everything for strikes, because I don’t have that great velocity.”

As for Conlon’s ancestry, his father Patrick is originally from Ireland but moved to California at roughly age 14. Conlon’s mother Susan originally is from Scotland and moved to the U.S. at roughly age 16. After they married, they moved to Ireland, before resettling in the States in the mid-1990s.

Conlon, who also has a British passport because of his family heritage, has only visited Ireland once, back in high school.

METAMORPHOSES

• Double-A Binghamton announced six finalists for the franchise’s new nickname beginning in 2017: Bullheads, Gobblers, Rocking Horses, Rumble Ponies, Stud Muffins and Timber Jockeys. The selection will be announced in October.

• Catcher Patrick Mazeika, an eighth-round pick last year, made his season debut at Columbia on May 18. He had been sidelined with elbow soreness.