The ‘loophole’ that gave Anthony Nunez a second pro chance with the Mets — and a new position

Anthony Nunez let out a yell, pounded his glove and hugged catcher Christopher Suero after snapping off a particularly nasty sweeping slider to whiff Wilmington’s Murphy Stehly to close out High-A Brooklyn’s win.

The 3-2 victory on May 2 had all the typical trimmings of a save in a tightly contested game. And the reaction was no surprise, considering it was the Mets minor league pitcher’s first professional save.

It was the culmination of the 23-year-old’s early success in his first full professional season in the organization, in which he has allowed one earned run while striking out 24 hitters through 14 ⅓ innings. Opponents are hitting 3-for-44 (.068) against him.

But this milestone undoubtedly meant more than any statistic for Nunez, who has quickly developed into an intriguing arm in the Mets’ system over the past two seasons with his mix of hard stuff and breaking balls.