The New York Mets are closing in on hiring Justin Willard of the Boston Red Sox as their new pitching coach, according to a report this weekend from Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Willard, who is 35, is currently the Red Sox' director of pitching and has several years of experience on the development side. He also spent several seasons with the Minnesota Twins prior to joining the Red Sox in November of 2023, serving as a minor league coach and coordinator with the Twins. Willard would replace Jeremy Hefner, who was fired by the Mets as part of a coaching staff purge after the team failed to make the playoffs.
This would be a big jump up for Willard if the hire happens, and the key tie-in here is Willard’s work with current Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey, who was brought in by Boston GM Craig Breslow. Willard and Bailey used video and analytics data extensively to rebuild Boston's staff, and they were especially successful with a Red Sox bullpen that excelled despite having several castoffs from other teams.
That kind of improvement is doubtless what the Mets would be looking for from Willard. Mets GM David Stearns faces a tall task reconstructing the pitching staff after New York’s second-half collapse, and whatever bullpen makeover happens will be especially crucial to the club’s success.
Willard would also face the task of helping the Mets' trio of young starters as they make the transition from Triple A to the majors. Right-handers Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong all had their moments this year, especially McLean, but at this point no one knows how much the Mets will lean into their young starters in 2026 as they potentially move on from multiple veterans who were either injured or ineffective this season.
The Mets also face another important decision with closer Edwin Diaz, who is expected to opt out of the second year of his two-year deal. Diaz will generate plenty of interest as one of the best options in the closer market, and Willard will undoubtedly be part of making the call on Diaz’s future with the club.
The Mets have already hired a new hitting coach in Troy Snitker, who is also young, but Snitker has a track record of on-field success based on his seven-year stint with the Houston Astros. It seems clear that one of the Mets' goals with the new coaching staff is to get younger, and it remains to be seen if the Mets hire and old-head coach with a pitching background to help Willard make the adjustment to being on the field.
The move is one of many coaching hires that will likely occur across the league in the next few days now that the Los Angeles Dodgers have won the World Series.