The meteoric rise of Tylor Megill

Throughout the past decade, the New York Mets have had a vast amount of elite pitching prospects come up through the farm system. This impressive list includes Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGrom to name a few.

Despite this, the Mets have failed in developing this talent into consistent major league success minus deGrom. Although injuries have been a significant factor, it still has left the Mets in a precarious position. The current rotation includes 4 guys (Walker, Bassitt, Scherzer, Carrasco) who were acquired through trade or free agency. The only one who hasn't amongst the current 5 is Tylor Megill, a 26 year old righty from Long Beach, California. In spite the odds, he’s determined to become a permanent part of the Mets' future. 

Road to the Mets

After going undrafted out of HS in the 2014 MLB draft, Megill went on to have a solid but unspectacular college career. He ended up playing for 3 different colleges throughout his career and finished his senior season at the University of Arizona. His overall numbers were respectable, putting up a 4.49 ERA over 4 years as well as compiling 202 total strikeouts. MLB scouts weren’t too impressed, and Megill would end up slipping to the 8th round before being selected by the Mets. 

Megill would begin his career by spending 2018 and 2019 in the minors, where he compiled 128 strikeouts and had an ERA of 3.37. By the time 2020 rolled around, Megill rose to the #28th ranked prospect in the Mets system and established himself as a legitimate pitching option. Unfortunately, Megill wouldn’t be able to pitch during 2020 as COVID-19 would cause the MiLB to shut down for the season. This would only be a temporary setback, however, as he managed to get called up during the 2021 MLB season as a result of injuries ravaging the pitching staff. He finished the 2021 season with a 4-6 record, an ERA of 4.52, and collected 99 Ks through 18 starts. 

Megill’s 2021 campaign is nothing to scoff at, as his overall ERA hides the true picture. In reality, Megill had 12 starts where he allowed just 3 runs or less. This includes a streak of these performances spanning from his first start until his 8th start, where he’d allow 4 runs against the Marlins. Still, his 2021 was far from perfect and the advanced metrics back this up. According to MLB.com, Megill was in the 18th percentile for Chase Rate as well as being in the 25th percentile in HardHit%. Furthermore, his Whiff% ranked in just the 47th percentile. With his inconsistent results, Megill needed to show improvement to prove that he belonged in the rotation for 2022.

In 2022, Tylor Megill is unrecognizable as a pitcher. After a strong Spring Training where he allowed 0 earned runs, Megill got the chance to be the opening day starter following an injury to Jacob deGrom. Through his first 2 starts of the season, Megill has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 11 batters. He also hasn’t walked a batter yet, signaling improvements in his control. 

According to MLB.com, Megill’s fastball velocity has jumped from 94.6 MPH to 96.4 MPH, and his other metrics have improved as well. His Whiff% is up to the 75th percentile, and his Chase Rate is up to the 55th percentile. His slider has become a weapon, as his Vertical Movement on it has increased by 4.4 inches, making it a lethal put-away pitch for Megill to utilize. The amount of improvement Megill has shown over the past year is remarkable, and something that nobody could’ve predicted. 

What does the future hold?

Tylor Megill is just 26 years old, and he still hasn’t even pitched a full season yet. His 2022 season couldn’t be off to a better start, and it has caused the Mets to insert him into their plans for the future. He should remain a permanent fixture of the rotation for the rest of the season and is on his way to achieving his first-ever All-Star nod. This season looks to be a springboard for the young flamethrower, but what heights will he reach in the future? Only time will tell, but nobody is more built for the moment than Megill.