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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

BROOKLYN, NY – One of Montevallo’s finest is one step closer to representing the city in the major leagues after signing with an MLB organization after Jonathan Pintaro earned a contract with the New York Mets organization on Sunday, June 2.

Pintaro caught the Mets’ eye after a torrid run with the Glacier Range Riders in the Pioneer Baseball League, an independent baseball league that is supported by the MLB but its teams are not affiliated with any major league club.

In a memorable moment, Pintaro received the news of his contract in the middle of his start on June 2. He threw two scoreless innings before being pulled off the mound and told he was signed by the Mets.

That wasn’t the end of Pintaro’s big week as he was soon assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and quickly made his mark in his new home.

On Thursday’s home game against the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Cyclones burst the game open with six runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up 7-2. That led them to give the ball to Pintaro in the sixth and come in for Mets closer Edwin Diaz after he pitched a scoreless fifth inning in a rehab assignment.

In front of a televised audience on the Mets’ affiliate SNY, Pintaro gave up one run in the sixth but locked in from there to quiet the Aberdeen bats, going the rest of the way to secure the four-inning save in a 13-3 win.

Across those four innings, he surrendered just four hits and two walks to go with the one run, and he struck out three batters down the stretch to aid the surging Brooklyn offense and start out his minor-league career with his first save.

Before finding his new home on Coney Island, Pintaro pitched for four seasons in independent baseball, first for two seasons in 2021 and 2022 for the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League before he made the move to Montana to play for the Range Riders in 2023 and 2024.

Pintaro’s success with Montevallo High School, which included a perfect game in 2014, led to his Division-II college career at Shorter University.

He was a five-time All-American with the Hawks, including a NCBWA First Team All-America

Nod in 2021, and was named the Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.

Now, his long road draws just a couple of steps away from professional baseball as he embarks on a new chapter with the Mets organization.