Reports have suggested throughout the spring that the New York Mets do not want to fire manager Carlos Mendoza despite the club’s woeful start.
However, those stories surfaced before the Mets began Friday responsible for a league-worst record of 10-21. Nevertheless, it appears that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns still isn’t ready to make what many feel is an inevitable change.
Are Mets close to firing Carlos Mendoza?
“We know our record is not what we want, and we know we are capable of more,” Stearns told Anthony DiComo of the MLB website. “We don’t view this as a manager problem, and we don’t intend to make a change.”
DiComo added that “Stearns and owner Steve Cohen have had no serious conversations about firing Mendoza” this spring.
“With 131 games still to play,” DiComo explained, “Mets officials believe there is enough time for the Mets to run back up the National League standings, as they did with Mendoza at the helm after starting 24-35 over their first 59 games in 2024.”
That season, the Mets completed a trip to the National League Championship Series. More recently, New York finished June 12 of last year at 45-24 before the club endured a collapse that ended with it failing to qualify for the playoffs.
Stearns’ dismantling and rebuilding of the core of the Mets’ roster this offseason have made him quite an unpopular figure among fans due to the club’s lackluster performances throughout April. ESPN stats show that the Mets entered May ranked 29th in all of MLB with a total of 106 runs scored and tied for 27th with a .227 batting average.
Why the Mets aren’t firing Carlos Mendoza yet
“In the eyes of team decision-makers,” DiComo wrote, “the blame should be spread throughout the organization, from baseball operations to the clubhouse. Injuries to Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and others have wreaked havoc on an offense that ranks near the bottom of the league in many major statistical categories…”
Soto was sidelined during what became a 12-game losing streak in April because of a right calf strain. Lindor will be out of the lineup for the foreseeable future because of a calf issue. Polanco is dealing with wrist soreness and Achilles tendinitis.
The Mets open a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels (12-20) on Friday night. One can only guess if the outcomes of those contests will change Stearns’ mind regarding Mendoza’s employment.