Now that the 2021 season is over for the New York Mets, we will spend the next several weeks taking a look at the big picture. This deep dive will be broken down into phases every weekday, continuing today with a look at the Mets’ coaching staff.
The 2021 New York Mets certainly underachieved and it led to a dramatic shakeup with their coaching staff. Luis Rojas was let go and the Mets allowed almost all of their coaching staff to seek new opportunities. As part of our Season in Review series let’s look at the coaching staff to figure out where it went wrong for them.
Season in Review: Coaching Staff
Manager
Rojas’ second year appeared to be heading for Manager of the Year consideration as he did a good job keeping the Mets afloat despite a rash of injuries. The team fell apart down the stretch, however, and it appeared that Rojas had lost the pulse of the clubhouse by having no awareness of issues like the thumbs down movement started by Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez. A string of questionable decisions in September appeared to seal Rojas’ fate as the Mets look to give the new President of Baseball Operations the latitude to pick his own manager.
Pitching Coach/Bullpen Coach
Jeremy Hefner did a good job with the Mets’ staff, which worked to a 3.90 ERA over the course of the season. Several pitchers made notable improvements from 2020 to 2021, including Miguel Castro, Drew Smith, and Corey Oswalt. The Mets are reportedly planning on keeping Hefner in the organization, which is more than can be said for Ricky Bones, who will be let go despite a solid effort from the Mets’ bullpen.
Hitting Coach
The Mets fired Chili Davis early in the season, promoting Hugh Quattlebaum to revamp the team’s hitting philosophy. The move predictably backfired as the Mets’ offense significantly regressed from its 2020 highs while continuing to struggle with runners in scoring position. Quattlebaum will be re-assigned within the organization as the Mets look to get better offensive results in 2021.
Bench Coach
Dave Jauss made national headlines for serving up a perfect array of fastballs to Pete Alonso during the Home Run Derby. There wasn’t much of note with Jauss afterwards so it makes sense to let the new regime pick a bench coach.
Base Coaches
Gary DiSarcina returned as the third base coach and had more questionable sends. Tony Tarasco debuted as the first base coach while working on baserunning as well, another area where the Mets struggled as a team. Both men were allowed to seek new employment after the season.
Check back tomorrow as our Season in Review series looks back at preseason predictions!
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