New York Mets fans expressed a range of reactions to the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday, with many online suggesting he is a scapegoat for the team's poor performance and questioning the accountability of ownership and the front office. Mendoza was dismissed after leading the Mets to a 34-47 record, the worst in the NL East this season.
Mets owner Steve Cohen's decision has ignited a debate among fans about whether Mendoza was the primary cause of the team's struggles or simply a convenient target. Some fans on social media platform X argued that Mendoza was not to blame for the team's issues, questioning his role in player performance and the team's overall construction.
"I don’t understand firing Mendoza," one fan wrote. "Was he telling [Juan] Soto not to hit the ball? Was he on the field committing 6 errors in a single game?" Another comment stated, "The team is lifeless. The manager is allowed to suck even if he was dealt a s–t hand. Good managers know how to change it to a good hand. Not blaming Mendoza more than Stearns but they are both trash."
Mendoza inherited a team that faced challenges including a two-month injury to shortstop Francisco Lindor, pitching issues, and numerous errors. Critics of the firing pointed out that Mendoza did not assemble the team's roster, a responsibility that falls to President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.
Fans directed criticism towards Stearns and owner Steve Cohen, with some suggesting Stearns should be fired instead of Mendoza. "Stearns should be fired not Mendoza," one user posted. Another commenter on X said, "The ownership of Steve Cohen and wife should be fired and the nerd GM who got rid of fan favorites for a bunch of bums. It started with Lindor signing. He wasn’t leading or winning anything, ever!"
Stearns played a role in significant player movements, including trading or allowing the departure of players like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Díaz. Despite assembling the second-most expensive roster in MLB over the past two seasons, according to Spotrac, the Mets have struggled, holding an 11-game deficit below .500 during that period.
However, some fans did acknowledge the team's apparent lack of energy. "The team is lifeless. The team last year was lifeless," one fan wrote on X. "Good managers know how to change it to a good hand."
Despite the divided opinions on the cause of the team's struggles, many fans agreed that Mendoza conducted himself professionally. "It appears the only thing Mets fans agree on is that Mendoza was 'a good baseball man' and 'carried himself with such professionalism' regardless of the situation," the New York Post reported.