Mickey’s made all the right moves over first 6 games
WASHINGTON — Mickey Callaway handled his first week managing in the major leagues without as much as the smallest of controversies or second-guesses.
The Mets are 5-1 and sitting atop the NL East, all the reason for positive early reviews on Callaway, who has stuck to his spring-training promise of using all his players, especially managing the bullpen to create favorable matchups.
“He hasn’t made a misstep,” said a major league evaluator who has watched the Mets extensively. “He’s really buttoned up, and his hunches — analytics — with the lineup have been spot on.”
Whether it’s been batting Amed Rosario in the No. 9 hole, with the pitcher ahead of him, or moving Asdrubal Cabrera from cleanup to leadoff and then to second in the order, the results have been positive. On the bullpen front, Callaway has found the right spots to insert Robert Gsellman, who hasn’t allowed a run in his first four appearances this season. Even Hansel Robles, who was demoted to the minors in spring training, has performed at a high level since returning, striking out six batters in two innings without allowing a run.
“He has convictions in his decisions, and I think as long as that happens and he is prepared and continues to beat the drum he has been beating everything will go smoothly,” Jay Bruce said. “Especially with this [coaching] staff. The whole staff is great.”
Bruce, who returned to the team on a three-year deal worth $39 million over the winter after playing parts of 2016 and ‘17 with the Mets, noted a difference in the team’s preparation under Callaway.
Gone are the days of a structured advance meeting before a series, in which coaches would gather the entire team and present scouting reports on the opposing pitchers and hitters. A more informal approach is now in vogue, with the players asked to provide their own insights on the opposition.
“We meet in the cage and kind of go over it and it’s more of a conversation, where last year it was the whole team would sit before the series,” Bruce said. “We have compartmentalized it a little bit. The infielders will go over the infielders stuff and the pitchers will go over the pitchers stuff. Last year there was a slide show to start every series and with this one this year we have decided to take a little more informal approach to it.”
Callaway’s approach, according to Kevin Plawecki, is an “open conversation” designed to elicit different opinions.
“We have got some older guys in here that have faced a lot of these guys around the league, so if they have got two cents on anything or how they have thrown in the past they give it to us,” Plawecki said.
Bruce said there is a noticeable difference between Callaway and his predecessor Terry Collins.
“Mickey is a little more laid back,” Bruce said. “He’s a little bit more the new school, but he is definitely a mix, compounded of the two — old school and new school — but he’s a little more laid back.
“[Collins] was old school and he had a lot of success that way and had a lot of success here that way. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way, necessarily, but Mickey is a little different.”
For now, at least, Callaway is placating the masses. But the true test won’t come until the rookie manager faces his first real adversity.
“If we put guys out there in certain situations and if they execute and get it done we’ve made the right move,” pitching coach Dave Eiland said. “If they don’t we’ve made the wrong move, but it’s all about the players and these guys have done a good job in these first six games.”