Buck Showalter was introduced as the new Mets manager on Tuesday afternoon, and not surprisingly, the question of analytics was posed when the press conference was opened up for questions.
The assumption that Showalter is against the new wave of advanced data that took over the game right around the time of his final days of managing is likely an unfair one, as the 65-year-old has never spoken out against the widespread strategy, but he confirmed that on Tuesday.
"I'll just say this: If somebody thinks I'm gonna go back to the hotel or the house, and think that maybe we got beat because someone else used information better than we did, or analytics, or whatever you want to call it, you don't know me very well," Showalter said. "I've always been very spongeful with information to a fault. Just like everybody else, I don't have a corner on it. there's a lot of smart people in this game. But if you think I'm gonna let somebody beat us by having better analytical information or because someone on the staff doesn't understand it…I'm not gonna talk about it. We'll show you."
One of Showalter's most recognizable days as a manager came during the 2016 American League Wild Card Game, when he left Zack Britton in the bullpen while Ubaldo Jimenez surrendered a walk-off home run in extra innings, leaving one of the best closers in the game unused because his Orioles didn't hold a lead. That of course goes directly against the newer wave of thinking in today's game, but Showalter is ready to adapt and take advantage of a growing analytics staff, something that was sorely lacking during his latter years in Baltimore.
Open mindedness is what Showalter believes led to teams like the Astros and Dodgers enjoying consistent success, and plans to help be a part of something similar in Queens.
"There's a lot of common denominators in teams that win consistently," Showalter said. "I think one of the biggest things I'm drawn to is teams and organizations that can win consistently. It's so hard to do, especially winning when you're expected to win.
"The adaption of different [methods]…it's how they've continued to have success."
Showalter will also make a point to make sure the analytics side and the baseball side are in harmony, as it takes both to succeed in today's game. The current implementation of analytics is a world Showalter isn't directly familiar with, as he last managed in 2018, but he is ready to learn and help bring the two worlds together.
"One thing a manager has to do is create a lot of avenues where every department feels comfortable and everybody can bring what they bring," Showalter said. "If you're wearing Mets blue and orange, bring what you bring."
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