Player Data: Age 26 (7/28/1995), B/T: Right/Right

Primary Stats: 18 GS, 89.2 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.283 WHIP, 4-6 W/L, 99 K,  27 BB

Advanced Stats: 89 ERA+,  26.1% K%, 7.1% BB%, 3.84 xERA, 4.69 FIP, 3.92 xFIP, 0.6 fWAR

2021 Salary: $570,500

Grade: B-

2021 Recap

Tylor Megill’s rookie season for the Mets was nothing short of a long series of ups and downs. Prior to his debut on June 23, Megill was a prospect that wasn’t really known to the casual fan but had a decent name for himself since being drafted by New York in the eighth round of the 2018 draft. Megill had his moments by coming through for the Mets as the pitching slowly but surely depleted and overall had a decent rookie campaign. 

By late June, the Mets were digging deep into their already slim pickings of starting rotation depth. Jacob deGrom was in between injuries and Joey Lucchesi and Noah Syndergaard were out with Tommy John surgery, to name a few. Megill’s debut was something that wasn’t anticipated, but more so to fill a desperately needed spot. In his first major league start, he managed to only give up two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings, which is exactly what the Mets needed at that time. 

As time went on and rotation injuries continued to pile up throughout the season, Megill went from being an unknown farmhand to a guy that became a mainstay in the starting rotation. After his debut, he became a guy that could be given the ball every fifth day, which gave the Mets something they most desperately needed: consistency. When the calendar turned to July, he was as dominant as anyone in the league. Over five starts, he compiled a 1.04 ERA in 26 innings pitched with 27 strikeouts. Putting up these numbers made him a dependable starter and a known name on this Mets team, which was unexpected because of his lack of being known just a month prior. 

Much in line with the Mets’ season, Megill’s performance started to fall off the rails come August. His numbers skyrocketed, which in a way could’ve been expected with his lack of professional experience and rookie status. His ERA was a whopping 6.44 and he gave up eight home runs over those six starts. As mentioned before, Megill was brought up in the major leagues with a lack of professional experience. Between being drafted and his debut, he only had one full season of minor league ball because of the pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 MiLB season. Since coming to the Mets organization, Megill pitched a total of 71 2/3 innings stretched across parts of three seasons, which was insufficient to prepare him for a major league workload. In addition to his 89 2/3 innings pitched for the Mets, he pitched 40 1/3 innings for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, pushing his total for 2021 to 130 — almost double his entire pitching experience heading into the year. 

Overall, Megill was a decent starter for the Mets when they needed it. Being overworked and inexperienced are likely the primary culprits for the downs he dealt with. But for someone who wasn’t really on the radar on Opening Day, Megill did a good job in acclimating himself to being on a major league roster for the first time. 

2022 Outlook

 Much like the rest of the Mets’ roster besides a few pieces, the starting rotation is very much uncertain heading into next season. With the departure of Syndergaard to the Angels, Marcus Stroman currently a free agent, and injuries, the only two starters that are solidified in the rotation are deGrom and Taijuan Walker. I do believe Megill will be slated as a starter come Opening Day regardless of who the Mets pick up in free agency or via trade.

But, in order for them to get the best Megill can offer, he cannot be overworked and relied on as much as he was through the duration of the season. He needs to be allowed to have some growing pains without it costing the Mets more than just a game or two. But, overall I do see Megill being a solid starter for the Mets as part of their depth. Not necessarily anything out of the ordinary, but someone that can take the ball and do what he needs to do to get the team a win when his number is called.