Mets’ Justin Garza: How MLB The Show Revived His Career
New York Mets reliever Justin Garza, recently acquired from the San Francisco Giants, has credited the video game MLB The Show with saving his baseball career. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when minor league seasons were canceled, Garza was a struggling Single-A pitcher with a 4.99 ERA over 119 innings. Facing uncertainty and unable to face live batters, he turned to the game to refine his pitching arsenal.
Garza told The New York Post that MLB The Show helped him understand pitch tunneling—throwing pitches with similar initial trajectories but different breaks, like pairing a sinker with a slider or cutter. By experimenting in the game, he reworked his real-life pitch mix, adding a cutter, four-seam fastball, and changeup while dropping his sinker after 2021. This led to improved performance, including a 4.71 ERA in 2021 with the Cleveland Guardians and a recent call-up to the Mets’ bullpen in June 2025, where he struck out two in two-thirds of an inning in his debut.
Despite a career 5.74 ERA in 47 MLB innings, Garza’s unorthodox training method highlights how video games can offer realistic mechanics to enhance professional skills. The Mets, known for revitalizing pitchers, see potential in the 31-year-old, who still has minor league options for flexibility. While not yet a dominant reliever, Garza’s story underscores the value of adaptability and innovative tools in baseball.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into Garza’s stats or his role in the Mets’ bullpen, let me know!