Freddy Peralta said he’s “born to be a winner.” He wasn’t wrong, except his winning isn’t coming with the Mets as the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers head to the World Series.
The Mets may not be playing in this year’s edition of the fall classic, but a quick look at the two rosters shows the Amazins are far from forgotten. Peralta, the right-hander acquired over the winter to lead the Mets’ rotation, went from Mets castoff to ALCS MVP with Tampa Bay. He’ll face his former team from Milwaukee, the one that was led by current Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns, from 2019-2022. Stearns stepped back during the 2023 season, handing over the operations to Matt Arnold, the executive who now holds the same title, to come to the Mets.
There seem to be two schools of thought among Mets fans when it comes to Stearns right now. One group insists he’s a genius, and that the Brewers going to the World Series using players acquired during his time leading the front office proves so. The other group insists the Brewers have been better off without Stearns, quick to remind that the Crew hasn’t lost a beat since Stearns departed. There is probably some truth to both sides, but arguing over it doesn’t do any good since Stearns is still under contract for the next two seasons.
It also does no good to debate big-market baseball success vs. small-market success, especially ahead of a potential lockout. What this World Series shows is that there are different ways to win a championship, and different prices as well. The Los Angeles Dodgers and their roster of expensive superstars couldn’t get past a Brewers team that plays in MLB’s smallest market. The Rays were playing in a minor league ballpark last season, and until this one, casual fans had probably never heard of several players on their roster.
What this World Series shows is that the names on the roster aren’t as important as the sum of all parts. The Brewers and Rays were two of the most balanced, fundamentally sound teams in baseball last season. They can win in a myriad of ways.
The Rays forced the Yankees to beat themselves by taking advantage of their lack of defensive fundamentals in the ALDS. The Brewers dispatched the Dodgers in the NLCS by keeping their foot on the gas, playing relentless baseball.
Culture is crucial. While Milwaukee and Tampa Bay may not have the luxury of high-dollar payrolls, but they have benefitted from the luxury of time. Each organization has spent years implementing their values and playing a certain way. Tampa has displayed an intense mental toughness. Not many organizations could survive a scandal like the one the Rays survived with franchise shortstop Wander Franco, but the team — and the payroll — kept going in the face of adversity.
Two former Rays, Tyler Glasnow of the Dodgers and Randy Arozarena of the Mariners, were both in attendance at Tropicana Field for Game 6 on Monday night to support the players who are now their opposition. It spoke of a well-liked and well-respected culture.
And not many teams have a manager that instills belief like Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy. The winner of the last two NL Manager of the Year Awards and one of the oldest managers in baseball, Murphy can sometimes sound like Ted Lasso with his upbeat demeanor and his motivational anecdotes. Even Blake Snell couldn’t figure it out.
The Mets can take the highlights from these two teams and apply those lessons to their own operations. They already have a manager known for inspirational speeches in Andy Green, now they need an ace like… Well, not like Peralta because that didn’t exactly work out the first time, but you get the idea.
Tampa and Milwaukee also have another luxury that the Mets will never have — playing in markets outside of the spotlight. Now they have it. Baseball’s spotlight isn’t on New York or Los Angeles, but on the diehards of Wisconsin and Tampa, a city that is rebuking the notion that it’s a Yankees town and going all-in on the hometown team.
There isn’t a way for the Mets to ever tone down the pressure; they have to find players who can thrive under the harshness of the spotlight. A small-market mentality doesn’t work in New York.
The Dodgers and Yankees are out; former Mets and formerly Mets-led teams are the teams that remain. It’s almost the best-case scenario for Mets fans — at least until the Mets can return to the World Series for the first time since 2015, that is.