Red Sox's director of pitching is the favorite to take over as Mets' pitching coach

For the first time in half a decade, the New York Mets are preparing to hand the keys to their pitching staff to someone new. After parting ways with longtime coach Jeremy Hefner and much of their staff, the Mets are reportedly zeroing in on a replacement — Boston Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard.

A Changing of the Guard

Jeremy Hefner’s tenure as Mets pitching coach from 2020 through 2025 wasn’t a failure. In fact, far from it. Many of New York’s young arms blossomed under his guidance, from David Peterson to Tylor Megill, and the group often outperformed expectations even amid injuries and inconsistency. But in the end, owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns decided the organization needed a clean break.

Their goal? A modernized pitching operati