QUEENS — New York Mets manager Buck Showalter announced prior to Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Phillies that he will not be returning for a third season as the team’s manager in 2024.
With the impending arrival of David Stearns as president of baseball operations, the 67-year-old veteran skipper revealed that the “new leadership, they’re going to go in a different direction.”
“I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team,” Showalter said. “I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, I had as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me why I always love this kind of work. I wish things could have gone better this season because the Mets fans deserve that. And in my heart, I will always wonder what could have been if this hadn’t happened or that hadn’t happened, but I try not to live in that world.”
Showalter led the Mets to their second most successful season ever last year, winning 101 games. But they were bounced from the Wild Card by the San Diego Padres before a disastrous season saw World Series hopes evaporate within the first three months of the season.
“We are heading in a new direction, with a new president of baseball operations and we let Buck know we’ll be parting ways. We will begin the search for a new manager immediately,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said. “Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team, including leading us to a 101-win season and postseason berth last year. The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Entering Sunday’s game, Showalter was 175-147 in his two seasons as Mets manager, bringing his 22-year career record to 1,726-1,664. He owns the 19th-most managerial wins in MLB history and his .543 winning percentage with the Mets ranks third in franchise history behind only Davey Johnson and Willie Randolph.
But the introduction of Stearns cemented the fact that the new president of baseball operations is looking to bring his own people with him to Queens. The former Milwaukee Brewers executive has yet to hire a coach of his own despite spending the last decade rising through the ranks with the NL Central club, ending with three seasons as POBO after time as general manager.
As it stands, Mets GM Billy Eppler is expected to report to Stearns amidst the Mets’ front-office restructuring.
“As we look toward the next chapter for the New York Mets, we felt that making a managerial change was the right course of action,” Eppler said. “We are grateful for Buck’s dedication, professionalism, and leadership, and for his work in guiding the 2022 Mets to a 101-win season, the second-highest total in franchise history. We wish Buck the very best in what comes next for him and his family.”
