Tylor Megill proving reliable in Mets' starting rotation

In a year where pitching wasn't supposed to be their strong suit, Tylor Megill is becoming an essential piece in the New York Mets' starting rotation.

Things haven't always gone exactly the way that Megill had hoped in the early portions of his career. His time with the Mets was in question entering this season if he couldn't produce solid numbers and quality starts.

Due to the injuries of fellow starters Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, Megill has been given a second chance in 2025, taking on a much bigger role than anticipated.

Megill is the club's No. 2 starter behind Clay Holmes, and in five starts, he owns a 1.09 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a 1.26 WHIP.

"He knows his stuff is good," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Megill. "Especially when he's in the strike zone."

The 29-year-old has been prone to getting behind in counts and walking batters throughout his career. While Megill has had some similar issues this season, he has done a much better job of going after his opponents.

According to Baseball Savant, Megill's walk rate was poor in the 27th percentile in 2024, but it increased to the 39th percentile in 2025. He is being more aggressive with his pitches and creating less traffic on the base paths, which in turn has allowed him to gain more confidence.

"I'm definitely more confident in my stuff, Megill said. "Mendy preaches, 'Your stuff is good, just attack hitters,' and obviously it's been showing."

Improvements in Megill's game have been showing the more he takes the mound for the Mets, and his performance against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies Monday night confirmed he is heading in the right direction.

Megill was handed the ball for not only the first game of an important series, but he was also tasked with facing the Phillies for the first time since last year's NLDS. The righty did not disappoint as he tossed 5.1 scoreless innings and struck out a season-high 10 batters en route to a 5-4 Mets win.

"We saw it today, every time he was in the strike zone he got swings and misses, especially with the fastball today," stated Mendoza. "The fastball, the sinker — that combo today, it had life. I just feel like now he knows that when he's in the strike zone, his stuff plays."

Megill has been nothing short of spectacular for New York thus far, and hopefully, this can continue as the season progresses.

"Like I said before, it's a great time to be a Met right now, and I don't want to end up leaving somewhere," Megill said. "I want to be around for these guys and help them win every time I go out there."