NY Mets: 4 experienced managers to consider hiring for 2022

Paul Molitor

While the first 3 entries on this list are more well known for their careers as managers, the Hall of Famer Paul Molitor is far better known for his 21 seasons as of one of the MLB’s premier hitters. However, he is also an intriguing candidate to fill the Mets’  managerial vacancy.

During his time as a player as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins, Molitor enjoyed a fruitful career, being named to the All-Star Game 7 times, winning 4 Silver Slugger awards, and was a member of the 1993 World Series Champion Blue Jays, even being named the MVP for that year’s series.

Molitor hung up his cleats following the 1998 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, but despite this, his life in baseball was far from over. Immediately following his retirement, he became the bench coach for the Twins for the 1999 season.

He continued his career as a coach in various positions at both the major league and minor league level, mostly with the Twins organization, until he was hired to become manager for the Major League Club prior to the 2015 season.

As the Twin’s skipper, Molitor inherited a team that had had a losing season each of the previous 4 years. In his first season, he lead the Twins to a winning year, sporting an 83-79 record, and in 2017, his third year as manager, won them 85 games and lead them to their first playoff berth since 2010.

The Twins were eliminated from the playoffs in the wildcard game, but Molitor’s efforts earned him the 2017 AL Manager of the Year award. However, in 2018, the Twins took a step backward and finished the year 78- 84, prompting Minnesota to part ways with Molitor that off-season.

Over his 4 years in Minnesota, Molitor managed 648 games with a record of 305-343, giving him a winning percentage of .471.

Despite this mixed bag of results in his 4 years, Molitor showed flashes of the manager he could be, turning a struggling team into a contender in a very short time and being named “Manager of the Year” in just his third year as a skipper.

Beyond that, as a player, he understood better than anybody what it takes to be a great hitter in the league, and given the Mets’ struggles at the plate in 2021, bringing in a great baseball mind like Molitor’s could be just what the Mets need to improve their offense moving forwards.

Along with an impressive start to his career as a manager and his reputation as a player, while Molitor may not be everyone’s first thought to fill the Mets’ managerial vacancy, he certainly could be an interesting choice to consider.

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