Just a few weeks ago, the New York Mets bullpen was the envy of Major League Baseball, leading the league in ERA.
Now, things have unraveled fast. Their relief corps has posted a ghastly 6.60 ERA since June 13, sliding them to seventh overall.
For a team clawing to stay in the race for the NL East, the sudden collapse in the bullpen has become a full-blown emergency.
In a move born from necessity and maybe a bit of hope, the Mets are calling up 27-year-old Jonathan Pintaro.
From Indy Ball to Flushing: Pintaro’s Surprising Rise
A year ago, Pintaro was pitching in independent ball, far from the bright lights of MLB stadiums.
Now, he’s going from the shadows of obscurity to the mound at Citi Field, ready to face major league hitters.
According to Mets insider Will Sammon, Pintaro has thrown 42 1/3 innings this year at Double-A with a solid 3.40 ERA.
More impressively, he notched 57 strikeouts in those innings, flashing swing-and-miss potential the Mets badly need right now.
Pintaro was slated to make the jump to Triple-A this week, but desperation forced the front office to skip that step.
A Starter by Trade, a Reliever by Circumstance
While Pintaro has been used primarily as a starter in the minors, he typically doesn’t go deep into games.
Most of his outings cap at four innings, making him more of a hybrid pitcher than a traditional workhorse.
That profile actually works to the Mets’ advantage, allowing manager Carlos Mendoza to stretch him across multiple innings.
With arms overworked and inconsistent, a guy who can give you 6–9 outs in a pinch is gold right now.
This isn’t the first time the Mets have turned to a wild card midseason, but Pintaro’s journey feels a little different.
An Underdog Story Built on Persistence
Pintaro wasn’t drafted in 2022. No one saw this coming—not even Pintaro, probably, when he was grinding in indy ball.
After signing with the Mets in 2024, he shot through three levels, logging a 2.68 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning.
That success didn’t go unnoticed—Baseball America named him the Mets’ 25th-best prospect entering this season.
He doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity, but his five-pitch mix—anchored by a sharp slider—keeps batters off balance.
It’s not flashy, but it’s effective—like a craftsman using a well-worn toolkit rather than a sledgehammer.
More Than Just a Quick Fix?
The Mets aren’t expecting Jonathan Pintaro to save their season, but they’re clearly hoping he can steady the ship.
With so many relievers struggling, Pintaro’s consistency at the minor league level looks like a lifeline.
The team doesn’t need dominance—they need reliability, someone who won’t pour gasoline on an already smoldering fire.
It’s unclear how long Pintaro will stick, but his maturity and unusual path might give him an edge under pressure.
If nothing else, his debut gives Mets fans a reason to root for something beyond just wins and losses.
The Bullpen’s Bigger Problem
Of course, one arm won’t fix the entire Mets bullpen, which continues to walk tightropes night after night.
But it’s a start, and Pintaro’s presence may offer enough innings to help preserve others from overuse.
The Mets have already cycled through veterans and prospects alike—many have faltered, few have stuck.
Whether Pintaro can buck that trend remains to be seen, but it’s not hard to root for a guy like this.
He’s the kind of story baseball loves: the long shot who climbed every rung with nothing guaranteed and everything earned.
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