After Encouraging Start, Megill Hopes to Find Consistency

Tylor Megill knows what he needs to work on. He hopes that a stellar performance Tuesday starts him on the path toward his goal.

“Consistency, that’s always been my downfall,” he told SNY after throwing four scoreless innings. “And being able to string together continual good starts after good starts. I’ll have stints of good starts and then I’ll been in the ruts where I have three, four bad starts and then come back, throw a good few starts. As long as I can stay consistent I think the outcome is going to be very, very good.”

Megill handled the Houston Astros before 4,514 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, striking out five, walking one and giving up two hits. The Astros broke through against the Mets’ bullpen and won, 7-4.

It was a good test for Megill, who faced a lineup loaded with regulars. He caught Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez looking in a 1-2-3 first inning. He struck out Jeremy Pena, Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz, too.

“That lineup … resembles what would be their starting lineup,” Megill said. “So yeah, obviously you want to go out and face what you’re going to face come season. And then obviously having success is you know confidence.”

Last year, Megill was hurt in his first start, pitched poorly when he returned, was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse in June, then came back to be a major contributor down the stretch of the playoff race (2.45 ERA in five September starts). For his four-year career, he’s 21-21 with a 4.56 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 74 appearances (67 starts). He has been, as he knows, inconsistent.

Now, the 29-year-old finds himself battling for a rotation spot with Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn. If the Mets go with a five-man rotation to start the season, one of those pitchers would be the odd man out, perhaps sent to the bullpen or, in Megill’s case, maybe to Syracuse. Megill is the only one of the trio with a minor league option.

In two starts, Megill has pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven, giving up one run, four hits and two walks. Canning has thrown 5 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Blackburn, who is scheduled to start Wednesday, has given up seven runs (six earned) in 4 2/3 innings over three starts. He has walked four, given up eight hits and has one strikeout.

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