When the Mets hired David Stearns, there was a sense of optimism that hadn’t existed in years.

Here was a lifelong Mets fan with a reputation as one of baseball’s brightest executives. He had built consistent winners with the Milwaukee Brewers despite working with one of the smallest payrolls in Major League Baseball. Now, he was coming home to lead an organization backed by Steve Cohen—the wealthiest owner in the sport.

The expectation wasn’t simply that the Mets would spend money.

It was that they would finally spend it wisely.

Stearns was supposed to blend analytics with player development, make smarter roster decisions, and create a sustainable contender instead of relying on splashy offseason headlines.

While it’s still too early to deliver a final verdict on his tenure, it’s no longer too early to ask difficult questions.

The Positives

Let’s start with what Stearns has done well because there has been genuine progress.

The Mets have become a more organized baseball operation. There appears to be a greater emphasis on player development, scouting, and building depth throughout the organization. Instead of sacrificing the future for every available star, the front office has shown a willingness to protect its top prospects and think beyond a single season.

Successfully for David Stearns built strong future core of Outfielders AJ Ewing, First Round Pick Carson Benge, Orioles prospect acquisition Nolan Mclean, Starting Pitcher Christian Scott. Juan Soto only 27 years old and Lindor has few more years of 5 star skills.

That’s important.

Championship organizations aren’t built solely through free agency. They’re built by consistently developing young talent while making smart additions around the core.

Stearns has also avoided many of the disastrous, decade-long contracts that have crippled other franchises. Financial discipline isn’t exciting, but it matters—even for a team with Steve Cohen’s resources.

The farm system appears healthier than it has been in years, and that could pay dividends down the road.

Those are real accomplishments.

But Championships Aren’t Won on Paper

The problem is that fans don’t celebrate organizational charts.

They celebrate wins.

Too many of the Mets’ key additions under Stearns haven’t made the impact the team needed. Whether through underperformance, injuries, or questionable roster construction, the results simply haven’t matched the expectations.

Some free-agent signings have failed to provide consistent production.

Certain trades haven’t delivered the value the Mets were hoping for.

The bullpen has often looked incomplete.

The lineup has disappeared for long stretches.

And the roster has repeatedly felt like it was one or two impact players away from becoming a legitimate championship contender.

Not every move will work. Every general manager misses.

But when several major decisions fail to produce meaningful results, it becomes fair to question the overall strategy.

Horrible signings with Frankie Montas, Jorge Polanco, trading for Marcus Semien, allowing Diaz and Alonso two pillars of the franchise to leave. Pete Alonso leaving I will never forgive Stearns for. 2025 trade deadline absolutely sucked by getting the incredible Cedric Mullins and Gregory Soto.

Is the Milwaukee Blueprint the Right Fit for New York?

One of the biggest reasons Stearns became successful in Milwaukee was his ability to maximize limited resources.

That philosophy made perfect sense for a small-market franchise.

But the Mets aren’t Milwaukee.

They’re New York.

With Steve Cohen willing to invest in winning, the expectation should be different.

Being disciplined shouldn’t mean being passive.

Sometimes championship windows require aggressive moves. Sometimes you have to take calculated risks. Great front offices know when patience is appropriate—and when urgency is required.

At times, it has felt like the Mets have leaned too heavily toward protecting tomorrow instead of maximizing today.

Accountability Matters

It’s easy to blame players when a season goes sideways.

Players deserve criticism when they underperform.

Managers deserve criticism when they make poor decisions.

But the front office isn’t immune from accountability.

Roster construction begins with the president of baseball operations.

If the bullpen lacks depth, that’s a front-office issue.

If the lineup has glaring holes, that’s a front-office issue.

If trade acquisitions fail to produce, that’s a front-office issue.

Winning organizations accept responsibility from the top down.

The Mets should be no different.

The Verdict

David Stearns is still one of the brightest minds in baseball.

That hasn’t changed.

He inherited an organization that needed better infrastructure, stronger player development, and a clearer long-term vision. Those improvements deserve recognition.

But executives are ultimately judged by one thing:

Winning.

Not projections.

Not organizational rankings.

Not promising prospects.

Winning.

The Mets have one of baseball’s biggest payrolls, one of its most passionate fan bases, and an owner committed to bringing a championship back to Queens.

The standard isn’t simply making the playoffs.

The standard is building a team capable of winning the World Series. Creating a winning culture, signing, drafting and trading players with a winning attitude, eats the pressure of playing in New York City with die hard demanding fan base including myself.

Respect Stearns seems like a smart guy, made the Brewers a winning franchise under tight payroll but time for the Mets to retool get rid of players that given plenty of opportunities like Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Mauricio, Senga, maybe Francisco Alvarez but because he hits well as a catcher you can keep him.

David Stearns still has time to prove he’s the executive Mets fans believed he would be.

But as the seasons pass, potential becomes less important than production.

The honeymoon is over.

Now it’s time for results.