Ranking the Mets starting pitcher options for the now-necessary Game 5 

Division Series - Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets - Game 4
Division Series - Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets - Game 4 | Luke Hales/GettyImages
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The New York Mets are battling for a spot in the World Series in this National League Championship series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has had an incredible run throughout the regular season and playoffs against all odds.

However, in this fight, the Mets must be intelligent in every move and decision made because they can be decisive in this series against a team that finished with the best record in the MLB. In this sense, the Mets need to consider what is the right decision in selecting the starter for a fifth game, which is already a certainty in this series after the debacle of Kodai Senga's first game. In this article, we rank the best four options for that match.

4. Tylor Megill

Tylor Megill has been a consistent pitcher at times over the last few seasons. Megill has shown flashes of considerable stuff and potential but sometimes does not have dominant performances which makes him an unreliable pitcher, especially in a scenario like this.

However, there are arguments that serve as a basis to support Megill being a possible starter for game five of the National League Championship Series. The young right-hander is a fresh arm with little appearance and use in these playoffs, which is a positive factor.

An important aspect is that Megill has improved his stuff considerably this 2024 season achieving his best ratio in strikeouts per nine innings with 10.50. He achieved this with an improvement in his control compared to 2023, reducing his BB/9 by 44 points.

It is important to note that in terms of wOBA, an indicator that highlights the quality of the hitters' at-bats, Megill posted an average allowed of .289 since the beginning of the second half of the season, which is quite good since it highlights his ability to stuff and control, that is, dominance over the batters. In the scenario that the bullpen has to work a lot during the rest of the series Megill can be a reliable arm for that fifth game.

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