Tylor Megill, Bullpen Struggle Once Again

Saturday’s start against the Houston Astros provided a massive opportunity for Tylor Megill. With Kodai Senga making progress and Christian Scott waiting for a return to the big leagues, the rotation may look a lot different in a few weeks.

Megill was received a lead early in the game, but his struggles continued in the middle innings. The New York Mets would go on to lose 9-6, as the bullpen gave up five runs over the last two innings. Had Megill been able to pitch more effectively and deeper into the game, maybe the result would have been different.

The first three innings were good for the right-handed starter. His only mistake came against Jake Meyers in the second, hitting a home run to right field on the tenth pitch of the at-bat. But besides that, Megill looked in control and was making quality pitches.

Unfortunately, that did not last very long. Trailing 6-1, the Houston Astros responded with three runs in the fourth, all of which came against Megill. He found a way to throw a scoreless fifth despite allowing two walks, but was only able to make it through 5 1/3 innings. On a day where the Mets’ bullpen was stretched, the team was hoping for more length from the starter.

“I thought [Tylor] Megill was ok. Showed flashes, fastball had good life. He threw some good splits. They’ve got good hitters, put together good at-bats. We couldn’t put them away today,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. Megill is now 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA in eight starts this season. He has allowed three runs or more in four of five starts in the month of June. Far from good enough.

After Saturday’s loss, Megill was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Although his spot has yet to be replaced, it appears the Mets will bring a reliever up, at least for the next few days. Edwin Díaz is serving his 10-game suspension for a sticky substance violation, so the team  needs another arm for the time being. Once he gets back, the rotation and the bullpen should look a bit different.

Will Megill be back in the big leagues at some point in 2024? Yes, but maybe it is time for a change. Six of his 65 career appearances have come as a reliever, all of which took place in 2022. Megill has plenty of pitches to choose from. With a more simplified pitch mix, he has the stuff to be an impactful reliever. The question is, will he be willing to change his role, at least in the short-term?

That transition has helped someone like Adrian Houser. As a starter, he was 0-4 with a 8.55 ERA in 33 2/3 innings. But as a reliever, he is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Now, Houser has worked as a long man previously, but the point still stands. With Scott and José Buttó waiting in the wings, Megill may be the odd man out soon. A move to the bullpen could keep him on the roster if and when he returns.

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