Reese Kaplan -- Shouldn't Credit for First Place Go to Rojas?

If you want to start a hot debate between fellow Mets fans, suggest that Luis Rojas ought to be renewed right now.  Fisticuffs may begin.  

Similarly, tell the world that Rojas is reprehensible and is nothing but an undersized loser who ought to be run out of town on a rail.  Again, fisticuffs may be initiated.

The fact is he was an emergency filler last season during the pandemic plagued short season and the results suggested the man was definitely in over his head.  The club finished with an embarrassing 26-34 record, tied for last place with the Washington Nationals.  Some were willing to write it off due to the players opting out, the great unknown of the impact of the virus, and the usual spate of injuries.  

Then came 2021 with a full off-season of preparation and a new team owner.  Imports brought into New York included Francisco Lindor, James McCann, Carlos Carrasco, Jonathan Villar, Kevin Pillar, Alberto Almora, Trevor May, Aaron Loup and a slew of others.  Everyone kind of forgot the 2020 debacle and were enthusiastic about where the club was headed.

Apparently the destination being the IL for seventeen (or more) players concurrently was not what fans and the front office had in mind.  The team was surely destined to be scraping the bottom of the barrel once again, struggling to try to get to .500 while the rest of the division boogied their way into the postseason.

Ummm...that’s not what happened.

The last time I looked the Mets were in first place, 6 games over .500.  They still are missing a great many of the players expected to be a part of the roster.  They were leaning on starting assignments given to guys like Billy McKinney, Cameron Maybin, Travis Blankenhorn, Jose Peraza, Brandon Drury, Mason Williams and Tomas Nido.  None of these players were considered starting-worthy and a few had been DFA’d by their former clubs.  

Then there was the pitching staff.  Neither Noah Syndergaard nor Carlos Carrasco have thrown a major league pitch during 2021.  Seth Lugo made his first appearance in June.  Starts were given to guys like Jordan Yamamoto, Joey Lucchesi and some relievers used as openers.  The bullpen has had its own slew of injuries yet again the last time I looked the team is at the top of the division.

That result brings us back to the opening salvo...what do you think the club should do with manager Luis Rojas?  Obviously under the previous regime winning was not a priority as they held onto the losing-record-setting Terry Collins for 6 years too long.  

Then they brought in rookie manager Mickey Callaway who, in his two years with the managerial gig, went a more impressive 163-161.  While two games over .500 is not eye popping, look at this 2019 where he went 8 games under .500 to his 2019 when he was 10 games over .500.  For that performance (and his well known proclivities for being inappropriate with female members of the media) he was booted from the dugout.  

So now the club has Luis Rojas.  His overall record (Thursday night prior to the games starting in San Diego) is 53-55, 2 games under .500 but it’s a remarkable turnaround from the 26-34 start in 2020.  

When a team changes owners, often one of the first things done is to change on-the-field management to put a new look and feel on the team.  While there are times I think Rojas sticks too long with ineffective pitchers, you really have a hard time arguing with success.  To me he’s most certainly earned a year three when hopefully there are no pandemic issues, injuries return to a more expected frequency and everyone can see what he can do when the players are there to be a part of the starting lineup.