Nate Fisher, like many minor-leaguers during the COVID pandemic, faced an uncertain future, worried his major league dreams had come and gone. Preparing for a life after baseball, the undrafted left-hander, who spent his year off completing his master's degree at the University of Nebraska (where he pitched from 2016-19), began working as a commercial lending analyst at First National Bank of Omaha, a job he held until summer.
Following a brief stint in the Mariners' farm system, Fisher joined the Mets this offseason, working his way through the pipeline with stops in Binghamton and Syracuse. After posting a respectable 3.12 ERA at the latter, the 26-year-old was finally promoted to the big-league roster, making his Mets debut in Sunday's series finale at Philadelphia. Coming on in relief of starter Jose Butto (who was tagged for seven runs on nine hits over four sluggish innings), Fisher stopped the bleeding with a masterful performance, retiring eight of the 11 men he faced before handing off to Trevor May.
Credited with three shutout frames, Fisher described his first major-league action as a "surreal" experience, reflecting on his unlikely journey from the corporate world to the mound at Citizens Bank Park.
"I was a commercial lending analyst, evaluating loans and a lot of fun stuff," Fisher told a sea of reporters in the visiting locker room after a 10-9 Mets victory, their 14th win in 19 games this year against the Phillies. "With COVID, there was a lot of uncertainty. I didn't know if the opportunity would arise. So when it came, I obviously ran with it. This is my dream, so I just tried to make the most of it."
Relying mostly on smoke and mirrors (his fastball topped out at just 94 mph), the 6'1" hurler gave the Mets much-needed length, spelling a tired pen running on fumes from the previous day's doubleheader.
"I haven't checked my phone yet, but I saw one guy that texted me, my old boss," said Fisher when asked if any of his old coworkers had reached out, passing along their congratulations after a memorable debut. "Today was great."
A lot can change between now and Game 162, but the Mets seem to be pressing all the right buttons, stretching their lead to four games over the second-place Braves (who, remarkably, are on pace for a better record than when they won the World Series last fall) in a loaded National League East. Whether his star turn against the Phillies was the first of many successful outings or a stroke of beginner's luck, it shouldn't make Fisher's accomplishment any less noteworthy, defying the odds in pursuit of a dream that, as recently as last year, seemed almost impossible.
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