Tylor Megill DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that New York Mets pitcher Tylor Megill will begin the season in the team's rotation. Per DiComo, he'll get the nod for the Mets' second game with the Houston Astros. Megill showed flashes of brilliance in 2024 and was particularly effective over seven starts (39 innings) post-All-Star break, compiling a 3.00 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 42 punch-outs. The 29-year-old will get a chance to show his stuff again with fellow pitchers Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) battling injuries. Megill has tweaked his arsenal a bit and noted that he plans to rely on his fastball more heavily, which should be a boost for him. For now, he's a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts with some sleeper appeal, depending on how long he sticks in the rotation.

New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill added a two-seam sinker last year to keep hitters from consistently looking away for his four-seam fastball and slider. It was a big reason why he was nails down the stretch last year for the Mets, when he posted a 2.32 ERA in six late-season starts (all wins). This offseason, Megill worked to improve his curveball to make it tighter and more of a weapon in two-strike counts. Eventually, it could replace his sweeper, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon and Tim Britton. The 29-year-old used his cutter 14.3% of the time last year, but he doesn't plan to throw it as much in 2025. "Use my strengths. My fastball is my strength," Megill said. "The fastball statistically, I should have used it a lot more." Because he has minor-league options left, Megill might be fighting an uphill battle for a rotation spot out of spring training.

New York Mets right-hander Jose Butto will be a reliever this year, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Meanwhile, Mendoza said that right-hander Tylor Megill will be stretched out as a starter during spring training. Butto went 7-3 with a nice .255 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, his first three career saves and a 79:38 K:BB in 74 innings over 30 appearances (seven starts) for the Mets in 2024. The 26-year-old was primarily a starter in the minors, but he had a 2.00 ERA down the stretch as a reliever last year and will stick in a late-inning setup role for the Mets. A high walk rate will make it hard for Butto to improve on his numbers last year. Megill, 29, will be in the mix for a rotation spot early in 2025 with the Mets planning to use a six-man rotation. He'll be competing with the likes of David Peterson, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn.