A month into season, Mets' Carlos Mendoza-David Stearns alliance is working
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza looks on before an MLB game against the Cubs at Citi Field on Monday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Whiffing on Craig Counsell in November was supposed to be the latest #LOLMets moment for a shaken franchise trying to dig out from another regime change.
Instead, the pivot to Carlos Mendoza is shaping up to be an inspired choice, already creating a mutually beneficial dynamic between the new manager, the clubhouse and the retooled front office, led by president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Counsell, in Flushing this week with the Cubs, stunned the industry by opting for a record five-year, $40 million contract to be the manager on Chicago’s North Side, a lucrative Midwest landing spot that understandably trumped his previous seven-year Brewers relationship with Stearns.
As a result, Stearns went with Mendoza, a calculated risk as a first-time manager, even coming from across town as the Yankees’ former bench coach. Maybe Mendoza lacked Counsell’s history with Stearns, but it seems as if he has quickly developed a solid trust with his new boss, or at least proved Stearns’ instincts correct.
Remember, Stearns didn’t hire Counsell in Milwaukee; he inherited him when he became the Brewers’ general manager in 2015. Mendoza is Stearns’ guy from the jump, and that goes beyond merely being his cheerleader in public.
That faith was put to the test Sunday in the Mets’ 4-2 extra-inning victory over the Cardinals, a game that featured Mendoza making a trip to the mound to remove starter Jose Quintana, then being convinced to let him get the final out of the eighth. It was a highly unconventional decision at 95 pitches with a reliever ready — Stearns said Monday that he thought Quintana was coming out — but Mendoza was rewarded when Quintana fanned Willson Contreras.
So much for the analytics. Mendoza made the call to stick with Quintana by looking in his eyes and listening to what he had to say, knowing the veteran lefty he was dealing with. But that never happens unless Mendoza believes Stearns has his back, and that’s where the Mets picked up another W on Sunday.
“I think one of the things that made Mendy so appealing throughout the interview process was his ability to read situations,” Stearns said Monday. “That’s both in-game and in a clubhouse with people, understanding how human beings are going to react in different situations. And I think we’ve seen that play out over the course of the first month this season, both in terms of how he’s managing the clubhouse and how he’s managing in-game. This is what we expected. I think he’s doing a really good job.”
This is 2024. The numbers are always going to be a big part of the equation. But both Stearns and Mendoza emphasized the importance of the other factors, some of which include that human element.
The Mets, like every other team, formulate mountains of data to present to their players and staff. But that’s just another tool at Mendoza’s disposal. He’s neither handed a lineup card nor told whom to play (which is confirmed by Stearns).
Everyone likes to talk about collaboration between the front office and the manager. But how many teams actually achieve it? And what’s the split? From what has transpired, Stearns and Mendoza seem to have struck a good balance.
“I don’t get the perception nowadays, where our front office is sending out a lineup or the decisions are made by them. That’s wrong,” Mendoza said. “That’s not the case. At least in my experience.
“Yeah, we do use information. But it’s a game that’s played by humans. You got to have that feel, that pulse, and the game will dictate things at times. Sometimes it’s going to work, sometimes it won’t and I’m going to have to sit here and answer those questions.”
Under previous administrations, that was more like an interrogation. During the Wilpons’ reign, the owners were regular postgame visitors to the manager’s office, asking for explanations and looking to affix blame. That’s certainly not how Steve Cohen operates, though the pre-Stearns front offices tended to have tense relationships with their managers that often turned adversarial.
Such turbulence shouldn’t be all that surprising when you consider the Mets’ frequent upheaval among the management ranks. How can you foster any degree of trust when everyone is constantly looking over his shoulder, anticipating a knife in the back? Back then, it felt as if the data was weaponized, used to undermine those who tried to take into account these other factors Mendoza now speaks of.
These days, the postgame meetings in the manager’s office sound like rational discussions, breaking down the night’s decisions in more constructive fashion. The Mets have their issues, of course. But the Stearns-Mendoza dynamic isn’t one of them. It’s an early strength, and they’re seeing the benefits. Sunday’s decision with Quintana was Exhibit A.
“I trusted that Mendy was reading the situation correct,” Stearns said. “And I trust that he’s going to take into account all of the information he has in that moment at his disposal and make the best judgment possible.”
Stearns showed pretty good judgment himself in hiring Mendoza, who has seemed like the perfect match, whether we’re talking the clubhouse or front office. Mendoza is not the highest-paid manager, but his fit has been priceless.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
