By Jordan Long
The New York Mets’ season began with high hopes. New York’s goal was to make the postseason and advance far into October. They missed the playoffs altogether. New York decided it was time to dismiss Manager Buck Showalter.
Showalter was hired on December 21, 2021. The Mets were anticipating he would turn this team into a winner. New York hadn’t won the World Series since 1985 which was the goal. Last year they won 101 games but were beaten in the National League Wild Card series by the San Diego Padres.
This year the Mets thought they had a team to go far in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they didn’t meet expectations going 74-87, missing the playoffs. Showalter was fired following the Mets’ 9-1 loss to the Phillies yesterday.
According to ESPN.com, Showalter said, “I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team. I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me why I’ve always loved this kind of work. I wish things could have gone better this season because the Mets fans deserve that. In my heart, I always wonder what could have happened if this happened or that happened, but I try not to live in that world. It’s not the ending I wanted, but I still love this city and the players.”
New York could have kept Showalter for another year. deserved a chance to show this year was a fluke. Showalter leaves the Mets with a record of 175-148.
The Mets will now look for their next manager. Candidates could include Gabe Kapler, Walt Weiss, and Bob Melvin. Kapler was just let go as Manager of the San Francisco Giants. He would bring 6 years of managerial experience to the Mets. His teams earned a playoff spot once, in 2021. His overall record is 456-411.
Weiss could make some sense. He is the current bench coach for the Atlanta Braves. He has been a manager once in his career with the Colorado Rockies from 2013 to 2016. It didn’t go so well. The Rockies finished with a record of 283-365 under Weiss. Weiss deserves a second chance. He is learning from Brian Snitker, the Braves’ manager. He could take the knowledge from that job to the Mets and possibly help them win.
Melvin is a wild card. He is still the Padres’ manager. They have not fired him yet. The Padres went 82-80, missing the postseason. If Melvin is fired, he should be the Mets’ top choice. He knows how to turn a ball club into a winner.
The Mets will take their time hiring a new manager. They know they want to build a team that wins a World Series. Whoever the next manager is, hopefully, they will complete that goal.
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