Mets’ Jonathan Pintaro Has Come A Long Way In A Short Time
When the Mets invited 14 pitching prospects to their January development camp, 27-year-old righthander Jonathan Pintaro made the cut.
A year earlier, he was readying for a second season in the mountains of Montana in the independent Pioneer League.
Pintaro’s fortune changed—and his incredible baseball journey commenced—when the Mets signed him last June after three starts for Glacier.
In affiliated ball, Pintaro quickly moved into the rotation at High-A Brooklyn, received an August promotion to Double-A Binghamton and finished with one start for Triple-A Syracuse. An assignment to the Arizona Fall League followed.
Mets pro scout Jaymie Bane had received a tip about Pintaro and quickly saw potential in the two-time Gulf South Conference pitcher of the year who had starred at Division II Shorter in Rome, Ga.
“I watched him play catch in the outfield before his start and just watched him go through his routine,” Bane said. “The first time he put something on a throw, I knew that I was in.”
Bane is a former professional pitcher and pitching coach who has scouted for nearly 20 years. He liked the connection in Pintaro’s delivery, the flow from his front side to back.
“There’s a looseness to the way his arm swings,” Bane said. “A freedom without being robotic. I like the way he uses his front side to gather direction to home plate.”
That connectivity alone would mean little if Pintaro lacked stuff. But Bane saw the potential for a plus fastball/slider combination with further pro development.
“Sometimes these guys fall through the cracks,” Bane said. “You’ve got Covid, the shrinking of the draft, teams cutting scouts—it’s the perfect storm for these types of players.”
Pintaro spent six seasons in college, missing 2018 and gaining an extra year of eligibility because of Covid, before graduating in 2022. He turned down a chance to sign as an undrafted player in 2020 and then failed to latch on after pitching in the 2022 MLB Draft League.
In Pintaro’s first season in the Pioneer League, he got roughed up for a 6.95 ERA in 90.2 innings in 2023. That’s when Glacier manager Paul Fletcher and pitching coach Mike Koltak helped him dial in his command by focusing on throwing competitive strikes rather than chasing velocity.
Pintaro totaled nearly 100 innings at five stops in 2024. Against affiliated competition, he pitched to a 2.68 ERA with 75 strikeouts and 28 walks in 74 innings.
Pintaro may be old for a prospect, but he is driven.
“For a kid who has been told ‘no’ his entire life,” Bane said, “he has something to play for. His work ethic is built toward proving people wrong.”
