The New York Mets analytics department is growing at an exponential rate since Steve Cohen took over as owner.

The department now rivals the size of top analytically driven teams like the Dodgers and more hires are on their way.

New York’s latest hire, Buck Showalter, is thought to be another old-school manager stuck in the past and unwilling to adapt to a quickly changing baseball landscape. Showalter, 65, last managed in 2018 with the Baltimore Orioles. He began his career in 1992 as a manager of the New York Yankees. Now nearly 30 years later, can Showalter show he can still be on the cutting edge?

The short answer? Yes.

Showalter’s introductory press conference on Tuesday should calm all nerves about his adaptability and embracement of analytics.

“If somebody thinks that I’m going to go back to the hotel or the house and think that maybe we got beat because someone else had better or used information better than we did, then you don’t know me very well,” Showalter said.

Showalter said he’s “spongeful of information to a fault.”

It’s his job to create avenues where every department feels comfortable to bring something forward. “If you’re wearing Mets orange and blue, bring it,” he emphasized.

If the Mets were concerned about Showalter’s ability to adapt or adopt analytics then another man would’ve faced the media at 1:oo p.m. on Tuesday. They would’ve turned to one of their other finalists for the positions, Joe Espada or Matt Quatraro.

Part of the Mets interview process was vetting their members against their performance science group, scouting group, player development group, and analytics group. These breakout sessions the Mets hosted were all about creating the collaborative and inclusive environment that general manager Billy Eppler emphasized in his introductory press conference six weeks prior.

“What came across in the interview was a lot of curiosity and a lot of questions about how a certain group or new methods could ultimately lead to better player performance and a better result on the field,” Eppler said.

When Showalter was let go of his managerial position three years ago, he wasn’t sure if he would manage the game. Maybe the game had passed him up. Maybe he was too old. Maybe he wasn’t the same leader he thought of himself as.

But Showalter isn’t the oldest manager in baseball, he’s not even close. He thanked Astros manager Dusty Baker (72), White Sox manager Tony La Russa (77), and Angels manager Joe Maddon (65) for paving the way for him. If not for them succeeding, he might not have landed in the Mets laps.

The latest Mets manager brings experience they haven’t seen since Bobby Valentine took over. Showalter has over 3,000 games managed in his career and has spent time with now five organizations. It’s what the Mets were sorely lacking from their last two managerial hires.

Showalter will try to blend the analytics with his player philosophies. He wants to let guys be themselves on the field and hold players and himself accountable for their actions. The ladder missing from the Mets clubhouse since Terry Collins was manager.

In his last stint in Baltimore, Showalter didn’t have the facilities available to him to manage a team the best through analytics. He said the  Orioles lacked the finances to have a fully-fledged analytics team and that’s where his managerial skills came to play.

“It’s about trying to attack the 90 feet of the game and I can’t wait to sit down with other people,” Showalter said. “I think a lot of people lose sight sometimes that we haven’t had the luxury of analytics. Without trying to be negative towards a place you’ve been, sometimes you do have to adapt and to figure out a way to do some other things better than the people you’re competing against.”

For Showalter, it’s about finding his balance quickly. He’s already met with and is excited to talk further with the only lasting member of the 2021 Mets coaching staff, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. But due to the present lockout, he’s not allowed to communicate with active players.

When Showalter finally gets a chance to meet and sit with the members of the Mets, his experience through multiple shortened offseasons will prove valuable in a way that analytics cannot measure.

He’s a player’s coach through and through. Showalter will bring that side of the game to the numbers side. And hopefully, if it all comes together, Showalter’s job description will be fulfilled.

“I understand the job description, It’s not trying to be competitive or trying to win more than you lose. It’s to be the last team standing.”