The Mets may not have a full-blown 2027 roster battle on their hands yet, but one quiet fight is already taking shape in the bullpen. Jonathan Pintaro and Tobias Myers are both trying to carve out a place for themselves, and the way this season has gone, the decision is starting to matter.
David Stearns has clearly leaned into the idea of multi-inning relievers, not just the old-school mop-up type. The Mets have often carried arms who can enter in leverage spots and work through six outs or more, and that kind of role appears to be the lane both pitchers are chasing.
Myers and Pintaro both came up as starters, but in New York they’ve spent more time in relief. Pintaro is older but has far less major league experience, while Myers is the one with his job most directly on the line.
Pintaro, meanwhile, is trying to prove he can be more than a depth piece.
Myers looked like he might seize the edge early. Through April, he carried a 2.33 ERA over 19.1 innings, along with a sharp 0.77 WHIP.
One outing in Colorado did some damage to those numbers, but the rough patch really took hold in late May and early June, when he began a stretch that didn’t end until his recent call-up. During that run, he gave up at least one run in eight straight appearances.
Not all of those outings were long, but one stood out for all the wrong reasons. Against the Cincinnati Reds, Myers recorded only four outs and was tagged for seven earned runs. His ERA jumped to 5.71 after that game and now sits at 5.74, with little movement since.
There has at least been a better September. Myers has allowed just one run in 5.2 innings, and his most recent appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies was the only one of his last four in which he allowed any runs or walks while also failing to strike out a batter.
That leaves some room for optimism, but the bigger issue remains his roster status. His minor league options are gone after this year, which puts the Mets in line for a non-tender decision before any possible DFA.
Pintaro’s case has looked different, and a little trickier to read. August was the perfect example.
He posted a 3.38 ERA that month, but the 1.96 WHIP told a messier story. He walked 10 batters in 10.2 innings and gave up 11 hits, turning several outings into a tightrope act.
Only one appearance in the month came without a hit allowed, and even then he issued a walk.
The Mets have also been easing both pitchers down in these final days and weeks, giving them more of a “Kodai Senga treatment” with smaller workloads. That makes sense this late in the year, especially with an eye on what they could be next season. Still, it also reduces the appeal of both if they’re going to be limited to one inning at a time.
Myers has a little more value because he can still start games. The Mets never formally moved him into the rotation, though they did give him a few scattered short starts. Pintaro, on the other hand, has not started a big league game for the Mets, and they’ve kept him in relief both because they needed him there and because that seems like the better fit.
The more urgent decision belongs to Myers, simply because of the lack of options. The Mets have tendered players in November and then moved on from them before Opening Day, so nothing is locked in.
There’s also a path where Myers gets traded to a club willing to see if there’s something to work with. But given the situation, with a poor season and no minor league safety net, the Mets probably shouldn’t expect much of a return.
Pintaro’s outlook is more flexible. He’s been one of Stearns’ better random finds after being pulled from the Independent Leagues, and he still has his final minor league option available in 2027. The Mets may want to protect that by not sending him down, but if his performance starts to resemble Myers’ 2026 season, that flexibility won’t matter much.
The broader fit also matters here. Pintaro looks closer to the kind of high-strikeout reliever the Mets seem to want.
Myers has not been that in the majors. His 4.76 FIP suggests he should be about a run better than his ERA, but other numbers are flashing warning signs.
A .500 slugging percentage against him sits in ugly company, and his hard-hit rate, average exit velocity, and lack of ground balls all point in the same direction. For the Mets, the question is whether Myers is worth holding onto when a more optionable arm like Pintaro may be the better bet.
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