A NY Mets roster competition brewing in the final days of the 2026 season

Competitions for the 2027 New York Mets roster aren’t really underway. We’re more in the tryout phase of players competing against themselves. One competition, however, does seem to be brewing with no clear cut winner quite yet.

David Stearns has shown a love for multi-inning relievers. It’s not the traditional mop-up man either. High-leverage capable arms who can get big outs, 6 at a time, is something the Mets have regularly had. A pair of arms on the roster currently seem to be battling for a spot in that role next year.

Jonathan Pintaro and Tobias Myers both have a starter background, but have spent more time as relievers for the Mets. Pintaro is the older yet less MLB-experienced of the two. Myers is the one currently fighting for his job. Pintaro is seeking to be more than an occasional option buried on the depth chart.

Who wins this minor Mets competition already underway?

Myers began the year incredibly well, pitching to a 2.33 ERA after April. It came in 19.1 innings and featured a remarkable 0.77 WHIP. An early game in Colorado did a good amount of damage to his monthly numbers. However, it was a burst in late May and early June when started a streak he only broke upon his recent call-up.

Myers allowed at least one run in 8 straight appearances. They weren’t all long. One of them, a start against the Cincinnati Reds, was the most brutal. He retired only 4 batters and was charged with 7 earned runs. His ERA was 5.71 after the game. Now at 5.74, he hasn’t done any better or worse since.

His September has been better, allowing only 1 run through 5.2 innings. His most recent appearance versus the Philadelphia Phillies was the only one of four to feature any runs or walks and lack strikeouts. There is reason for optimism. However, with his minor league options exhausted after this year, the Mets have a non-tender decision to make with him before a possible DFA.

Pintaro had a deceptive August. His 3.38 ERA was great. His 1.96 WHIP was anything but. The 10 walks in 10.2 innings paired with 11 hits made it a tightrope walk at times. Only one appearance all month didn’t have a hit allowed. He did, however, walk a batter.

Innings totals for both have lessened in these final days/weeks with Myers and Pintaro getting more of a “Kodai Senga treatment” in smaller doses. After a long season, it’s smart to start thinking about being more careful with pieces you think can be a part of next season. Even so, the pair both lose some appeal by being one-inning-at-a-time options.

Myers, in particular, brings value by being able to start games. The Mets never officially put him into the rotation at any point with a few scattered short starts during the year. Pintaro has yet to start a game for the Mets at the big league level. They’ve sensibly kept him as a reliever out of both the greater need and impression that he’d be better in the role.

The Mets need to make one more immediate call

It’s Myers they need to make the most immediate call with because of his lack of minor league options. We have seen the Mets tender players in November only to cut them before Opening Day. There’s also a possibility Myers ends up traded to a team with a willingness to see what he can offer. But because of the circumstances, a bad year and nowhere to go but the waiver wire, we shouldn’t expect the Mets to get a whole lot in return.

As for Pintaro, he’s showing enough and has been one of Stearns’ most successful random signings. Plucked out of the Independent Leagues, he’ll have his final minor league option available in 2027. The Mets may want to play it safe and not demote him to keep it intact. However, if he gives them the kind of performance Myers has in 2026, they’ll have no other choice.

Pintaro seems to fit more in the mold of what the Mets want as a high strikeout guy. Myers has never been that at the major league level. Although his 4.76 FIP suggests he should be a full run better in the ERA department, other numbers give a loud enough warning. The .500 slugging percentage against him, for instance, is right between where Pete Alonso (.506) and Max Muncy (.497) sit this season. One of the worst hard-hit percentages, average exit velocities, and lack of ground balls you’ll find around the league, the Mets might be wasting their time. Myers’ guaranteed roster spot may be better off handed off to a pitcher like Pintaro who can be optioned.

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