"Boston brought in Willard to improve the organization's pitching development. In a story written by Ian Browne of MLB.com ahead of his first season with the team, Willard said he has a "really simple" approach when it comes to his pitching philosophy. "Throw nasty stuff in the zone. You can have nasty stuff, but it's not gonna be maximized if you're not in the zone." That plan could play well in New York."
"That plan could play well in New York. The Mets' pitching staff ranked fourth in Stuff+ in 2025, but had the sixth-highest walk rate. The club finished 18th in ERA. New York made a slew of coaching changes this offseason, including moving on from Hefner. He had spent the past six seasons with the team. After ranking 22nd in ERA in his first season, the Mets improved to ninth and then seventh under Hefner. They've been 15th or worse the past three years."
Justin Willard is the leading candidate to become the Mets pitching coach after joining Boston in November 2024 and previously working in Minnesota. Willard began coaching in college at Concord University and spent seven years at Radford as an assistant and recruiting coordinator. Boston hired him to improve organizational pitching development, and he emphasizes a simple approach: throw quality stuff in the strike zone. The Mets ranked fourth in Stuff+ in 2025 but struggled with walks and finished 18th in ERA. A young core and several veterans give the new coach pieces to develop in 2026.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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