New York Mets skipper Buck Showalter was named the 2022 National League Manager of the Year. He edged out Los Angeles Dodgers head coach Dave Roberts and Atlanta Braves skipper Brian Snitker.
"Buck came in and led the @Mets to their first postseason berth in six years. He’s your 2022 NL Manager of the Year!" - @ MLB
Showalter led the star-laden New York Mets squad to 101 regular-season wins and a berth in the National League Wild Card round. They were defeated in that stage by the San Diego Padres.
This is Showalter's fourth Manager of the Year Award, his first in the National League, and the second while managing a New York-based squad.
New York Mets fans, along with fans from other teams, celebrated the loveable manager's victory.
One fan stated:
"Best manager in the NL!"
Another lauded Showalter's remarkable resume as a manager:
"The goat Buck Showalter"
Here are some more reactions to the news:
With his fourth Manager of the Year award, Buck Showalter is now tied with Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox for most amongst all skippers. What makes Showalter's achievement even more special is that he is the only manager to win it with four different teams in four different decades.
He won his first Manager of the Year award with the New York Yankees in 1992 and then with the Texas Rangers in 2006. Prior to his win in 2022, he most recently picked up the award when he was with the Baltimore Orioles in 2018.
New York Mets sign Stephen Ridings
The New York Mets are wasting no time in keeping their elite pitching crew stable. The team claimed reliever Stephen Ridings, who last played for the New York Yankees, off waivers.
The Huntington, New York-native made his last appearance for the Bombers in 2021 and posted a 1.80 ERA across five innings pitched. In 2022, he made just two starts across both Double-A and Triple-A with Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, respectively. He didn't play much due to an impingement in his right shoulder.
Ridings boasts a lanky 6'8" frame and solid velocity on fast balls. Additionally, with Adam Ottavino hitting free agency, he could be the perfect set-up man for the Mets' All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.