It’s time for Pirates to call up Pittsburgh’s own Justin Meis
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates undoubtedly have issues in their bullpen.
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The back end, middle relief, and any area not named long relief (thanks to Wilber Dotel), needs help.
Less than two months away from the August 3 MLB trading deadline, the Pirates are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They need relievers and are reportedly the most active club pursuing bullpen help, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, but it takes two to make a trade.
Some teams may believe they are still in the race, aren’t ready to part with key bullpen arms yet, or have set a price so high that a trade is less likely until closer to the deadline.
The Pirates do have one internal option that has been pitching well and is familiar with PNC Park: right-hander Justin Meis.
A right-handed reliever in Triple-A Indy, Meis owns a 3.00 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 30 outings this season.
Meis, 26, is from Bethel Park and has been in the organization for six years.
A 10th-round draft pick of the Pirates in 2021 out of Eastern Michigan, Meis has struck out 27 batters in 30 innings.
He owns a career 4.22 ERA over 371.1 innings, with 386 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP in 162 games, but has pitched his best the last two seasons.
In 42 games in Double-A Altoona last year, Meis recorded a 2.89 ERA in 62.1 innings, posted seven holds, seven saves, and totaled a .213 opponent average.
Meis has been even better this season as opponents are only hitting .149 against him, the best of his career. He has walked 16 batters over his 30 innings and throws his fastball in the mid-90s, but does a good job changing speeds.
Justin Meis struck out four across 3.0 hitless and scoreless frames. 👏 pic.twitter.com/uMX1u2SSXx
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) April 18, 2026
A converted starter, Meis has pitched well in a multi-inning relief role. He’s been used to cover multiple frames or just one inning this season and has been especially good of late.
Meis totaled a 2.84 ERA in May and has only allowed one run in his last eight outings over 10.1 innings. He has struck out 12 and walked five during that span.
The area has done a nice job developing relievers over the last 10 years, with Mason Miller (Bethel Park), David Bednar (Mars), and Isaac Mattson (Erie) reaching the majors.
Could Meis join Miller as the next player from Bethel Park to make an impact in a Major League bullpen??
It’s time for the Pirates to find out. Call up Meis and give him the opportunity to be an answer to their lingering questions about how to solve the pitching.
I talked to Meis in 2021 after being drafted by the Pirates, and what the opportunity means to him.
From Bethel to the Bucs, Justin Meis looks to make an impact on his hometown team