Jeff McNeil. Brandon Nimmo. Michael Conforto. J.D. Davis. Dominic Smith.
These names were some key players for the Mets in 2019. What else do they have in common? They are all 27 years of age and younger. They are young players. And for those of you who want to argue that 27 is not young, that is the age of McNeil, who only just completed his second season in the majors. They are all youngins and they are all still learning.
And that is what makes this hiring of Carlos Beltran as manager even better.
Beltran has played for this team. That is something that he can bond over with these guys on a much deeper level. Beltran was just 21-years-old when he was called up. He was 27-years-old when he came to the Mets. He knows what it’s like being a young player trying to make a name for himself. He also knows a thing or two about tying and breaking franchise records, something him and Pete Alonso can definitely chat at length about. In fact, Beltran even called Alonso after he broke his home run record.
It’s not just Beltran’s former experience with the Mets that makes him a perfect asset to young players. It’s also that he has been a mentor before, going above and beyond. During his later years as a player, and since then as a special advisor for the New York Yankee, Beltran served as a mentor for the younger players. He asked for his locker to be close to Aaron Judge‘s so he could give him tips about playing the outfield, as he knew Judge (who then was in his rookie year) would be taking over his position. Instead of being bitter about it, he guided the young rookie.
Carlos Gomez and Brian McCann both have been vocal about calling Beltran a mentor. Andy Martino of SNY shared a story of how whenever Gomez would anger one of his opponents, Beltran would text him showing him the other perspective and providing him with advice on going forward. That sounds like something a manager would do for the players he cares about, now doesn’t it?
Didi Gregorius is yet another player who Beltran mentored. So is Brett Gardner.
Beltran has spoken about the important of being a mentor during his times both with the Yankees and with the Astros. Sports Illustrated even cited Beltran and his mentorship as the “perfect addition” to aid the Astros in winning a championship.
Some of the young Mets have already stated how excited they are regarding this hire. Davis went on to say that “[Beltran] has such a high baseball IQ. He helped a lot of those guys in Houston in becoming the players they are today because of his maturity, knowledge of the game, his attitude and work ethic.” He knows that there is a lot his team can learn from Beltran.
“The game of baseball is not about what you can do for yourself – I know what I can do for me – but about trying to impact younger guys. I take pride in that,” Beltran is quoted saying by multiple sources. That statement says it all. His actions further it. He guided the younger players while he was still playing. Now he is going to guide the young Mets team even more. He knows how to be a leader. Now let’s lead this team to a World Series.
