NY Mets are going in reverse when it comes to picking Keith Hernandez’s brain

Back in 2022, we learned an interesting factoid about Keith Hernandez and how he wasn’t allowed near the batting cages. New York Mets manager Buck Showalter fixed it, ending a ban we didn’t even know existed.

Hernandez isn’t afraid to comment on things he feels are wrong. Whether it’s defensive inefficiencies or a poor approach at the plate, he rarely holds back. The Mets were wise to allow him near the cages a few years ago. Now it sounds like the current management isn’t willing to let him go a step further.

As the Mets have shifted away from the more old-school approach of management led by Showalter and maybe even Billy Eppler to a lesser extent, a heavier focus on analytics has taken place. The Mets are driven by more than gut-feel and heart. Last week while appearing on WFAN, he discussed how he isn’t allowed to attend the analytics meetings.

A brilliant baseball mind is going to waste by not allowing Keith Hernandez to at least give some input

Hernandez’s job isn’t to dissect arm angles or turn Mark Vientos into an average league defender. He’s not collecting a paycheck to crunch numbers. Calling games and providing some commentary as well as humor is what his job description entails.

We can only guess as to the specifics as to why the Mets won’t let a former MVP and World Series champion into the inner circle. Even if he disagreed with everything they’re saying, hearing him out couldn’t hurt.

Apparently it has been a while since anyone within the Mets organization has come to him for help. Bobby Valentine asked him for help when Todd Zeile moved to first base. That was in spring training of 2000.

More than ever, the Mets are a system ball club. Do these specific things in this specific way at this time and yield a predetermined result. We know baseball doesn’t work this way. Far too much is unpredictable.

It’s a backwards transition to keep Hernandez out from at least sitting in on one of the meetings. Too many chefs in the kitchen can be counterintuitive. An extra head on the Hydra has use.