Megill earns rotation spot
JUPITER, Fla. — Tylor Megill learned a new pitch from Kodai Senga over the winter. Now, he’s taking his spot in the Mets’ rotation.
The Mets informed Megill on Wednesday morning that he will be in the rotation out of camp. The decision was between Megill and right-hander Jose Buttó. In the end, they chose Megill and his revamped repertoire and optioned Buttó to minor league camp. Buttó is expected to start the season with Triple-a Syracuse.
“They both looked pretty good, so that was a tough one,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. “We’ve been saying that we were going to be facing some tough conversations and this morning, we had one with Buttó. Not only because of the way he’s been throwing the ball but how he prepares, the way he goes about his business, how good of a teammate he is. He basically did everything that we asked him to do.”
Senga’s shoulder injury opened the door for one of the two right-handers to make the team out of camp. Megill was always the frontrunner for the spot because of his experience, but Buttó picked up right where he left off after a strong end to his 2023 season.
Buttó was impressive this spring, allowing only one earned run in 10 Grapefruit
League innings while walking two and striking out nine. This wasn’t exactly the news Butto wanted to hear one day after his 26th birthday, but the Mets made it clear that they expect him to contribute at the big league level this season. He’s added velocity to his fastball, touching 97 this spring. He added a cutter to go along with his slider, changeup and curveball.
What the Mets were most impressed with was his attack mentality. Buttó went right at hitters this spring, unafraid to challenge them. Other pitchers in camp noticed. Edwin Diaz, who shared a locker area with Buttó this spring, saw increased confidence and a different presence on the mound.
“He likes to compete,” Diaz told the Daily News. “When he debuted for us, he was really good. But every single time I see him pitch now, he’s more mature. That’s really good for a pitcher and I’m really happy for him.”
Megill came into camp already in early-season form. He worked diligently over the winter not only to add pitches but to be able to sequence them as well. Last season, he struggled to maintain velocity throughout his outings, so this year, he’s focusing less on adding velocity and pitching in a way that allows him to maintain it.
Megill has allowed six earned runs over 15 ⅔ innings this spring, with a 1.021 WHIP.