The biggest reason NY Mets fans should be excited about the Derek Johnson hire

The New York Mets have a lot of work to do if they want to turn things around in 2027 after their disastrous 2026 campaign. Most of that work will be about adding players, whether that's a possible run at bringing Michael King back to New York or making some big bullpen additions to keep up with Atlanta after their recent splash to sign Evan Phillips. Some of the work, however, is about adding talent in off-the-field roles.

Those seemingly minor personnel decisions can have major implications down the line, and the team's decision to hire Derek Johnson in an advisory role might prove to be the latest example of that. Mets fans may not even have known Johnson's name prior to the announcement of his hire, and he certainly won't be on the mound for Game 1 of a playoff series. None of that should dissuade fans from the possibility that it could be a game-changing addition for the team, however.

Derek Johnson knows elite MLB pitching, and that's exactly what the Mets need

Johnson's experience as a pitching coach in the majors comes from the NL Central, where he coached the Reds from 2019 until his departure back in June. Prior to that, he was the pitching coach for the Brewers from 2016 to 2018. During his time with those organizations, he worked with all sorts of MLB stars. Josh Hader, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta all made their MLB debuts while Johnson was coaching the Brewers.

That's obviously a very impressive group of names, as is to be expected from the reigning World Series champs who have been known for their elite pitching for the better part of a decade at this point. What might surprise some is that Johnson's work with high-end pitching didn't stop when he left Milwaukee.

As pitching coach (and later director of pitching) of the Reds, Johnson worked directly with Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Raisel Iglesias, Trevor Bauer, Jeff Hoffman, Hunter Greene, and Chase Burns. Between Milwaukee and Cincinnati, Johnson has worked with multiple Cy Young award winners, two of the best closers of this generation, and a laundry list of All Stars. It's easy to imagine him being a very useful resource for high-end young arms like Nolan McLean and (in the future) Carson Wiggins.

Just as important as the possibility that Johnson could help the Mets get the most out of electric young talents, however, is the opportunity for Johnson to help raise the floor. It's a lot harder to imagine another Freddy Peralta debacle, where an established star struggles in Queens, with Johnson in the fold. He also has plenty of experience getting the most out of diamonds in the rough, and that's something the Mets will need.

Johnson already managed to help arms like Nick Martinez, Andrew Abbott, Wade Miley, and Jeremy Jeffress maximize their potential over the years. He should have as good of a shot as anyone in the game at helping Mets veterans on the down swing like Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga to do the same, to say nothing of youngsters in need of another big step forward like Jonah Tong.

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