Megill Makes Mets' Opening Day Roster, Aims to Finally Stay in the Majors

Tylor Megill has made the Mets' Opening Day roster for the fourth year in a row, and this time the right-hander says he is determined to avoid the pattern that has defined his recent seasons. In each of the past three years, he broke camp with the club, began well, and was eventually sent down to Triple-A.

The Mets told Megill this weekend that he had secured a spot, and he is lined up to pitch Friday night in Houston against the Astros. Speaking Sunday at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, he acknowledged how his career has gone so far. "Obviously, it's been a few years of being a fill-in, with guys going down and coming in. At some point, things kind of change," he said. "You want to be a guy that sticks, and after a few years, I guess things start to click."

It is a significant year for the 6-foot-7, 29-year-old, who has one minor league option year remaining. The option gives the Mets the ability to send him back to Syracuse if he needs to rebuild confidence, but Megill appears aware that his opportunities are not unlimited. He carries a 4.56 career ERA and a 4.40 FIP. The team has discussed using him in relief, though it still views him as a starter and intends to keep giving him starts in his fifth big league season.

Megill's raw stuff may be among the best on the staff, but shaky command has made him inconsistent. Having eight pitches in his arsenal matters little if he cannot throw them for strikes or sequence them well. At times he has tried to get swings and misses with breaking pitches early in counts, only to watch hitters take them and put him behind, which has led to high pitch counts and high walk rates.

With that in mind, the Mets asked him to simplify his pitch mix this spring, which could mean not using all eight pitches in every outing. Megill said he is leaning on his strengths: the four-seamer, sinker and slider. He also worked on a curveball over the offseason with his brother, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Megill. He described the pitch as having previously been a "get-me-over dumper for a strike" but now harder and tighter, something he can use to get swings and misses with two strikes. He is also bringing back his changeup.

The sinker was central to his late-season run last year, when he went 2-0 with a 2.32 ERA over his final six starts in August and September. He threw more strikes and worked in better counts. Walks remained an issue, but the sinker, which breaks in on right-handed hitters, produced weak contact and ground balls. "It keeps them a little honest," he said. His splitter, nicknamed the "American Spork," will still be used, but only when appropriate; he forced it at times last year in counts where it was not the best choice.

President of baseball operations David Stearns spoke about Megill on the SNY broadcast Sunday, saying that a big jump is not needed given the quality of his stuff. Manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have kept their belief in him, trusting that experience will help him grow from his struggles. That has not always been easy for the soft-spoken Californian, who has openly admitted to losing confidence at times.

Megill typically starts spring low on the depth chart and still earns a place. He was the Opening Day starter in 2022 with Jacob deGrom injured. In 2023, he was headed to Syracuse until an injury to Justin Verlander opened a spot and he started the home opener. Last year he started the final game of the opening series against the Brewers, and his brother, in place of the injured Kodai Senga, but left early and landed on the injured list.

The Mets now describe him as a pitcher "on a mission" to reach the majors and stay there. "I want to go out, I want to compete, and I want to win games," Megill said. "I'm obviously trying to prove myself every time I go out there. But it's just consistency."