The Mets are currently in the midst of one of the most underwhelming seasons in franchise history. Despite boasting the highest payroll in baseball, the blue and orange were the biggest sellers at this year’s deadline and currently are sitting at 55-66, 7.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.
While there are many reasons why the Mets have underperformed this season when it comes to assigning blame for a disappointing season, often, the managers get the brunt of it and end up losing their job.
This poses an interesting question for the Mets: should they move on from Buck Showalter?
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A look back at Showalter’s 2022
After four years out of baseball, the Mets hired Showalter to replace the fired Luis Rojas.
In his first season in Queens, Showalter led the blue and orange to their first postseason appearance since 2016 as the Amazins went 101-61. Although the Mets won 101 games, a late-season sweep by the Atlanta Braves led to the red and blue snagging the National League East crown despite the blue and orange leading the division for the majority of the season.
Losing the division caused the Mets to participate in the Wild Card round, where the San Diego Padres eliminated them in three games.
Despite the disappointing ending to the season, Showalter was awarded the 2022 National League Manager of the Year.
The Mets Should Move On
Yes, the Mets should move on from Buck Showalter for two reasons.
First, the Mets organization is going in a different direction than what Showalter likely desires. The 67-year-old returned to baseball to try and capture the one thing his resume lacks: a World Series trophy.
Despite the claims from the organization that the Mets will be competitive in 2024, the current roster construction does not scream championship contender.
Second is how the 67-year-old handles young talent. This year’s key complaint amongst fans is how Showalter has handled the roster. The Florida native often chooses to play veterans over rookies. The Mets are looking to get younger Steve Cohen has said so himself and Showalter just isn’t the right fit for that change in philosophy.
Hopefully, for the Flushing faithful, if Showalter is no longer with the team come 2024, manager number 24 will be the one that finally leads the Mets back to championship glory.