The New York Mets made a somewhat unexpected move yesterday, removing the interim tag from manager Andy Green and signing him to a three-year deal .
Green took over as Mets manager following the dismissal of Carlos Mendoza in June, leaving his role as vice president of player development in the front office. New York has gone 38-38 since Green took over, but that record hardly tells the full story. Since the trade deadline, the Mets have played winning baseball, with a renewed energy surrounding a team that looked lifeless just a few months ago.
Green's hiring is a significant win for New York for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that it gives the Mets one less pressing need to address this offseason. They're retaining a manager who has already shown he can handle the demands and scrutiny that come with managing in New York.
The second, and more important, is the trust Green has already earned from his players. That belief hasn't just surfaced through their comments, but in the way they've responded on the field and at the plate. And out of everyone in the clubhouse, perhaps no one is more thrilled to see Green remain than A.J. Ewing.
New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing should be thrilled that Andy Green is staying as the full-time manager. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
When Green joined the Mets' front office to oversee player development following the 2023 season, one of the young players entering the organization was a fourth-round shortstop fresh out of high school. That player was A.J. Ewing.
Given his role, Green knows better than almost anyone the type of player Ewing is and how to best harness his immense talent. Since taking over as manager, Green has spoken candidly about the Mets' young players and shown an understanding that each requires a different approach to maximize their potential.
That understanding was on full display during a press conference in July, when Green was asked about Ewing beginning to look more comfortable at the plate.
I still want him on the attack; I don't really love hearing A.J. Ewing and comfortable in the same sentence. I think he thrives on challenges, and I think he loves to have somebody challenge him in a way and say you're going to have to prove you can do this before you get this. That goes all the way back; I've alluded to it before when I told him he was going back to A-ball, he said, 'I'll only be here a short time. Not a big deal.' Then he went out and proved that he didn't belong there, Green said (h/t SNY Mets).
For a Mets team suddenly overflowing with young talent, ensuring each player develops properly is paramount to the franchise's future. Green's background in player development, coupled with his familiarity with these rookies, gives New York something few other managerial candidates could offer.
Ewing, who just turned 22 last month, has spent much of his rookie season in a constant game of adjustment. It appeared he had hit a major roadblock in August when he batted .171/.243/.219 without a home run.
That stretch would've been a roadblock many young players wouldn't have overcome, but Ewing did and came out of it better than ever. He is having his best month of the season in September , slashing .354/.411/.523 with three home runs.
Having Green alongside Ewing, someone who has already shown a keen understanding of what it takes to bring the best out of him, can't be overstated in its importance to both his development and the Mets.
And Ewing isn't the only rookie who's flourished under Green. Fellow rookie Zac Thornton has spoken about the confidence Green has instilled in him and how much he's grown during his time in the majors. That trust was on full display against the New York Yankees , when Green stuck with Thornton in a critical seventh-inning situation and gave him the opportunity to pitch his way out of trouble.
In today's game, a manager's in-game decisions are only a small part of the job compared to building a strong clubhouse culture and knowing how to manage each player individually. In that regard, Green could not have been a better choice for the Mets.
*stats updated before Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mets/onsi as One Met Who Should Be Thrilled About Andy Green's Extension .
