Mets most impactful winter addition is already with the team

The New York Mets are trying to build a formidable playoff-contending roster this offseason that is filled with impactful players, but the most impactful addition is Zack Scott.

Since the offseason began the New York Mets have made a flurry of moves including the signings of Trevor May and James McCann, yet fans are waiting for that big fish free agent signing to be reeled in.

The players the team has already signed as well as the ones they will sign between now and opening day will all make an impact on the 2021 Mets in some way. However, I believe that the addition that will have the most impact on this franchise has already been brought in.

That person is Zack Scott, former Assistant General Manager with the Boston Red Sox.

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How can a non-player be the most impactful addition? And if it is a non-player then why isn’t it Jared Porter, or Sandy Alderson, or even Steve Cohen? Well, I will tell you.

Zack Scott is will be the most impactful addition because he is knowledgeable about an area of baseball that the others are not as knowledgeable in. Analytics. Zack Scott is an analytics guru and will allow the team to strengthen an area they behind the times in.

Scott was able to help build out the Red Sox analytics department during his 17 years with that organization, which has helped the Red Sox be contenders for the last decade. With this hire, the Mets and Porter are hoping that Scott can do the same thing to their severely depleted analytics department.

The Mets are at a severe disadvantage in their use of analytics compared to the rest of baseball and strengthening that area will allow the Mets to put their players in better positions to succeed. For example, the organization has a conundrum with Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith, but the use of analytics will help put them both in positions to succeed not only for themselves but for the team as well.

The best teams in baseball, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, use analytics to do just that and the Mets need to bring their team to this century if they want to be competitive.

Additionally, strengthening the analytics department will help the Mets find the best free agents both domestically as well as internationally. There is intrinsic value in each and every free agent and the analytics coupled with the traditional methods will help the Mets determine which ones to spend their money on.

The Mets are building out their front office in ways we have not seen before. Hiring Scott allows the organization to divide up the front office responsibilities to the people who know those areas best, similar to the way Andrew Friedman runs the Dodgers.

Ultimately the goal of a successful team is to win as many games as possible ending in a championship and the players you put on the field will in large part determine whether that happens or not, but the executives that the team hires to decide what players to sign will be the unsung heroes of a championship-winning team.

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I genuinely believe that Zack Scott is one of those unsung heroes that will be a linchpin in the Mets winning a World Series title. The game is moving towards more data each and every day, so it is only smart to bring in one of the best data-driven minds in the game.