By Sports Editor Andrew Simonson
NEW YORKIn just a few days, Jonathan Pintaro’s dream of playing major league baseball was achieved, taking him from the comfortable hometown ballparks of Double A to the brilliant lights of Citi Field.
Just hours after receiving his initial call to the main leagues, Pintaro made his main League Baseball debut on Wednesday, June 25, when the New York Mets brought him up to their active roster. That same night, the Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-3.
In an interview with MLB.com, Pintaro described his experience as “unreal.” It has fulfilled a dream of mine.
As the fourth reliever out of the bullpen to end a 7-1 advantage, Pintaro entered the game at the beginning of the ninth inning. But his start was rough; in his first big-league at-bat, he walked Ozzie Albies and let Alex Verdugo hit a single to put two on with one out.
Pintaro recorded his first major-league strikeout after forcing a crisp groundout that he initially grabbed to make the first ball. He caught Nick Allen right outside the lower left corner of the strike zone with a 93 mph cutter.
On Wednesday, June 25, Jonathan Pintaro grips the ball after recording his first MLB strikeout. (New York Mets, the contributor)
On his debut, Pintaro was tagged for two runs by the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr. hit to left to clear the bases and reduce the score to 7-3 after the groundout put both runners in scoring position.
After 0.2 innings, Pintaro’s day was finished by a walk to Matt Olson, leaving him with his first career strikeout and two earned runs off two hits and two walks. Edwin Diaz entered to make the save and secure the last force out.
In just over a year, Pintaro, a native of Pelham and a graduate of Montevallo High School, went from playing independent ball to making his major league debut.
After a turbulent tenure with the Glacier Range Riders of the Pioneer Baseball League, he first earned his contract with the Mets on June 2, 2024. In the middle of his start that day, after pitching two shutout innings, he was informed of his deal.
On June 6, 2024, Pintaro made his rapid debut with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Before the season ended, he advanced all the way to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. In 17 appearances and 74 innings pitched in three different levels, he finished 2024 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP, while opponents only batted.216.
He made 11 appearances with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in Double-A to begin the 2025 season, recording a 3.40 ERA, 57 strikeouts, 1.11 WHIP, and a.212 opponent batting average.
On Tuesday, June 24, Pintaro was brought up to Triple-A Syracuse in preparation for a possible major-league bullpen need. New York called up its No. 22-ranked prospect to fill that need after the Braves dominated the Mets bullpen on Tuesday night.
In the days before of his next call-up to Queens, Pintaro will make his Triple-A season debut after being sent to Syracuse after the relief appearance.
