Some seasons linger longer than others, and for the New York Mets, the sting of 2025 still feels fresh. An 83-79 finish would be shrugged off by plenty of teams, but not a club that was playing for a pennant just a year earlier. The disappointment didn’t simply frustrate fans. It rattled a franchise that believed it was building toward something bigger, only to watch momentum slip through its fingers.
Manager Carlos Mendoza survived the year, though hardly with a vote of confidence. His return feels conditional, almost like the Mets want to believe in his vision but can’t ignore the reality that 2025 should have been far better. The manager enters next season knowing patience in Queens isn’t exactly renewable.
A Coaching Shake-Up Years in the Making
Even if Mendoza held onto his seat, most of his staff didn’t. The Mets moved quickly once the season ended, choosing to overhaul nearly every corner of the dugout. It wasn’t subtle. Bench coach John Gibbons, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coach Eric Chavez, assistant hitting coach Jeremy Barnes, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, and catching and strategy coach Glenn Sherlock are all out. That’s a seismic shift for any club, let alone one trying to stop a slide.
Owner Steven Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns clearly saw 2025 as a symptom of deeper issues. The Mets didn’t play with cohesion, and too often, their approach felt stale. Bringing in new voices wasn’t about scapegoating. It was about changing the energy in a clubhouse that had grown too comfortable with inconsistency.
New Faces, Fresh Ideas
The Mets’ new staff carries a strong mix of modern thinking and player-development credentials. Kai Correa, who spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Guardians and built a reputation as a sharp communicator, steps in as bench coach. His presence alone should give Mendoza a more analytical partner in the dugout.
On the hitting side, the Mets elevated Jeff Albert to hitting director. After three years shaping organizational philosophy behind the scenes, he now oversees the entire offensive operation. Pairing him with new hitting coach Troy Snitker creates an intriguing tandem. Snitker has earned respect for blending data with real-world feel, something the Mets lacked at times last season.
Pitching, though, might be where the Mets made their most impactful hire. Justin Willard arrives from the Boston Red Sox, where he helped unlock several breakout arms. The Mets hope he can steady a rotation that rarely matched its potential in 2025. Dan McKinney steps in as assistant pitching coach, while José Rosado takes over the bullpen. It’s not just a new group. It’s a full-on philosophical reboot.
Rafael Fernandez joins the MLB staff as assistant hitting coach, Tim Leiper will be the third base coach after a couple of seasons in San Diego, and Danny Barnes becomes the quality assurance coach. Each addition points to a theme: the Mets want teachers, not placeholders.
Internal Promotions Signal a Cultural Shift
One of the more encouraging signs is how many internal promotions the New York Mets made. J.P. Arencibia jumps from Triple-A bench coach to MLB catching coach, a role that could be crucial as the Mets try to get more out of their young catchers. McKinney also rises from Double-A to the big-league staff, bringing familiarity with many of the organization’s developing arms.
Gilbert Gomez, after managing the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, earns the first base coach job. That’s three internal voices joining the major-league group, signaling a commitment to continuity that balances the outside hires.
The Mets didn’t just replace bodies. They realigned the staff around communication, adaptability, and player growth. In a year where the front office knows the roster alone won’t fix everything, that shift might be their most important move.
The question now is simple: will all these new voices help the Mets rediscover the momentum they lost, or will 2026 bring another round of soul-searching?
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