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New York Mets

A-Rod praises Mets owner Steve Cohen for transforming team

The Mets have been made out to be an early-season contender for the World Series

By Gary Sheffield , Jr OutKick
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It’s understandable why Alex Rodriguez would be bitter discussing the Mets after falling just short of purchasing the team, but his latest remarks show his approval of the team’s eventual owner, Steve Cohen. 

The richest owner in the sport's history has turned the Mets from a laughing stock of late into arguably the best team in baseball. It is really cool what he’s done in such a short amount of time.

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"We’re talking about Steve Cohen…one of the richest owners in sports, but one of the richest as far as deploying capital analytics," Rodriguez said "But what he did differently is he also brought in Buck Showalter, who is a baseball savant and is an old-school guy. Reminds me of Nick Saban."

This photo from a Zoom press conference shows New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020.  

This photo from a Zoom press conference shows New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020.   (New York Mets via AP)

A ton of energy out of Cohen as well. Steve Cohen even takes his fandom to Twitter despite owning the organization. It’s really fun to follow along, especially if you love the Mets.

When it comes to baseball, it seems MLB owners are either infatuated with analytics or an old hag that yells at the clouds about bunting. Having an ability to know when analytics should be utilized vs leaning on common sense with a great manager like Buck Showalter is incredibly valuable. 

New York Mets Buck Showalter

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) looks on during the MLB baseball game between the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 24, 2022 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This willingness to pivot whichever direction the team needs in the moment has gotten the Mets off to a blazing 19-10 start — good for first place in the NL East by a healthy five-game margin.

This is a good look for A-Rod as well to compliment Steve Cohen on the value of the Mets’ new ownership group. Rather than lying to himself or others he’d be a better fit, Rodriguez points out the obvious: Spending $270 million on the roster while maintaining analytical middle ground has proven to be every bit of what the Mets were missing.

New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen speaks at the Tom Seaver statue unveiling ceremony before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 15, 2022 in New York City. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Mets defeated the Diamondbacks 10-3.

New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen speaks at the Tom Seaver statue unveiling ceremony before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 15, 2022 in New York City. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The Mets defeated the Diamondbacks 10-3. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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The New York Mets are a fun team to watch again and all it took was an owner that gave a rip. Good to see the Wilpon family finally getting out the way for leadership that actually cares.