Tylor Megill is already important to the 2022 Mets

Last June, Mets fans were introduced to an unknown rookie pitcher, Tylor Megill. Called up to the big leagues on June 23 as the Mets dealt with injury after injury to their pitching staff, Megill was suddenly thrust into the middle of the Mets’ rotation as they were fighting to stay atop the NL East.

In his first seven starts, Megill shined, having just about as good of a start to his major league career as he could have hoped for. Pitching to a 2.04 ERA, Megill looked like he was becoming a dependable piece of the Mets’ rotation heading into the final two months of the season.

However, over the these last two months, Megill came crashing back down to earth, and finished the season with relatively pedestrian numbers, including a 4.52 ERA and a 4.69 FIP over 89.2 innings pitched in the big leagues.

That, combined with the 40.1 innings he logged in the minors before making his major league debut represented the most innings Megill had ever pitched in his professional career. This career high in innings came following a 2020 season where Megill did not pitch in a single game as there was no minor league season due to the pandemic. It’s entirely possible these two factors contributed to Megill’s struggles down the stretch, as it’s fair to assume he hit a wall by the end of the season.

Heading into the 2022 season, Megill fit nicely into the Mets’ plans as a depth piece in their starting rotation, behind the big names of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt, with Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco set to round out the back end of the rotation. But with Jacob deGrom’s injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time, this depth the Mets have is already being tested, and Megill is set to have a prominent role on the team yet again, this time from the very start of the season.

ZiPS projects Megill to have a similar season to his rookie campaign, throwing just over 118 innings with a 4.34 ERA and 4.37 FIP, while putting up a 1.2 WAR. All things considered, these numbers for Megill could be solid. Where they could be troublesome for the Mets is if they have to rely on the second year pitcher too much, just like last season, due to injuries from other key pieces

In a perfect world, Megill will provide the Mets with some quality starts here and there when needed in the rotation, while also being a long man out of the bullpen. The righty from California certainly showed flashes last year he can be more than good enough at the major league level and help contribute to a team that hopes to content for a National League pennant this season.