3 Mets we'll wish we had back for the 2024 season

3. Buck Showalter

The Mets entered the 2021-22 offseason with a completely clean slate in terms of their leadership core. Acting general manager Zack Scott and Rojas were terminated and Sandy Alderson made it clear he was not a long-term solution to lead baseball operations. Steve Cohen was not going to accept failure in 2022 and wanted a quick bounce back from a group that showed promising potential in 2019 and 2020.

Having been through two rookie managers in four years, the fanbase was bereft of a Bobby Valentine or Terry Collins type of manager with an old-school mentality. It was clear after the 'rat and raccoon' and 'thumbs down' incidents the team needed a disciplinarian in the clubhouse. With the desire to win a championship in 3-5 years, Cohen went for the jugular and hired Buck Showalter to lead the Mets in 2022.

The hiring of Showalter expedited the Mets from a 77-win team in 2021 to the second-best record in franchise history of 101-61. The team played with a different mentality having plenty of comeback wins and receiving all-star performances from Pete Alonso, Diaz, and Jeff McNeil. Even without Jacob deGrom for most of the season, the starting staff and bullpen were handled well and in-game decisions always had a purpose behind them. Showalter in 2022 proved experience mattered, especially in tensious environments such as dugout management and handling the press after a brutal loss. For these reasons, we will miss Showalter's demeanor and expertise in 2024.