Mets Finalize Buck Showalter's Coaching Staff For 2022 Season

The Mets have finalized Buck Showalter's coaching staff for the 2022 season.

Author:
Pat Ragazzo
Publish date:
Jan 21, 2022 1:14 PM EST

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New York Mets

The Buck stops here.

The Mets have officially finalized manager Buck Showalter's coaching staff for the 2022 season.

After hiring Glenn Sherlock (bench coach), Joey Cora (third-base), Wayne Kirby (first-base) and Eric Chavez (hitting coach), Showalter had a total of five positions on his staff filled, including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner who is the only remaining member that is left over from Luis Rojas' staff.

And on Jan. 21, the team announced that their last two vacancies will go to Craig Bjornson, who will serve as the club's new bullpen coach, and Jeremy Barnes, who will be Chavez's assistant hitting coach.

Bjornson, 52, was the bullpen coach for the Boston Red Sox from 2018 to 2020. Under Bjornson, the Red Sox bullpen posted the fourth lowest ERA in World Series history (1.40) during the 2018 Fall Classic when the team captured their last championship.

Prior to joining the Red Sox, Bjornson was the Houston Astros' bullpen coach from 2014 to 2017. Bjornson helped the Astros and Red Sox win World Series titles in back-to-back years (2017 and 2018).

As for Barnes, he will receive a promotion to the big-league staff after spending the 2021 season as the Mets' director of player initiatives. Before joining the Mets' organization, Barnes, 34, was the Astros' minor league hitting coordinator from 2019 to 2020. He was also the hitting coach for the Astros' New York-Penn League affiliate from 2017 to 2018.

In the end, Showalter brought in Sherlock (Yankees: 1995, Diamondbacks 1996 to 2000) and Kirby (Orioles: 2011 to 2018), who are two coaches that he has worked with in the past. Hefner had his option picked up by the Mets prior to Showalter getting hired as manager, Chavez was recommended by general manager Billy Eppler and Cora was endorsed by former Mets manager Terry Collins. Bjornson and Barnes do not have any previous ties to Showalter.