Buck Showalter has been named the National League Manager of the Year, becoming the first Mets’ skipper in history to win the award. Voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America prior to the start of the postseason, this is the fourth win for Showalter overall, having won three times in the American League as the manager of the Yankees in 1994, the Texas Rangers in 2004 and the Baltimore Orioles in 2014.
In his first year in Queens, Showalter guided the Mets to a 101-61 record, the second-best record in team history. It was only the fourth time the Mets reached the 100-win mark and the first time since 1988. It was a 24-win improvement and it was enough for the Mets to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016, securing an NL wild-card berth. The San Diego Padres eliminated the Mets in that wild-card series, but it was a successful building-block season nonetheless.
The 66-year-old veteran replaced Luis Rojas last winter and instantly helped change the culture. He introduced more accountability and it created mutual respect between Showalter and the players in the organization. The second year of the Steve Cohen era was devoid of controversy, which has always been a signature of sorts for the Mets. The clubhouse became a positive atmosphere with little discord. It showed on the field, where the Amazins’ were a top team for much of the season.
