Mets Manager Buck Showalter Discusses MLB Punishing Mets, Not Other Pitchers

A day after serving a one-game suspension following pitcher Yoan López throwing at Phillies hitters, Mets manager Buck Showalter discussed how he feels the team has been treated unfairly by the league—yet tried to fix his focus forward while refraining from sharing his full views on the matter.

“I’m worried about the game today. We’ve moved on to St. Louis,” Showalter said. “It’s funny, we’re the guys getting hit and we’re the ones getting punished. Think about it, it’s kind of strange. Believe me, I have some personal, private thoughts about it. It probably doesn’t do anybody any good to air it.”

Mets hitters have been plunked at an extremely high rate to start the season, though there are reasonable explanations as to why that’s been the case that go beyond the theory that they’re being head-hunted. López was suspended for three games for Sunday’s incident.

After three Mets batters were hit in a game on April 26, pitcher Chris Bassitt voiced his frustration afterwards, placing a majority of blame on changes to the baseball.

“It’s extremely annoying to see your teammates constantly get hit, and if you get hit by certain pitches it is what it is, but to get hit in the head the amount that we’re getting hit is unbelievable,” Bassitt said, per SNY. “I had some close calls tonight, and I’ve been hit in the face [by a line drive] and I don’t want to do that to anybody ever, but MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs. They’re bad. Everyone in the league knows it. Every pitcher knows it. They’re bad.”

Showalter took particular issue with the timing of his suspension, which occurred shortly before the Mets took the field against the Braves on Monday. Overall, the veteran manager did not think the process played out in a fair way for his club.

“The things that get under my craw, it’s stuff that’s not fair for our players. I can deal with it,” Showalter said. “Managers, coaches, we don’t really matter. Just trying to create an environment where you don’t have to walk in a locker room at 6:25 and tell them, ‘Go get ’em.’ And then go tell the coaching staff and change anything. I don’t know that, competitively speaking, if the timing was fair to the New York Mets.”