Overview
- Multiple outlets including The Athletic and the New York Post report Willard is the favorite and is expected to be named, though the team has not announced the hire.
- Willard, 35, has served as Boston’s director of pitching since 2024 and is credited in local coverage with contributing to a top-five team ERA and improved pitcher development.
- He would succeed Jeremy Hefner, whose 2026 option was declined after New York’s pitching regressed late in 2025 and the staff posted one of MLB’s highest walk totals.
- Willard’s stated philosophy emphasizes command with quality stuff, encapsulated by his line to MLB.com: “Throw nasty stuff in the zone.”
- The prospective hire aligns with a broader Mets staff overhaul and a mandate to develop young starters, with reports also noting moves such as Jeff Albert and Kai Correa joining the big-league staff and Rachel Folden being targeted for Double-A Binghamton.