Ex-Mets GM Says Firing Jeremy Hefner was Unfair

After the New York Mets fell well short of expectations last year, a complete overhaul of the coaching staff ensued.

The Mets moved on from every member of the coaching staff just days after their season ended against the Miami Marlins on September 28. One of those moves that perhaps caught many by surprise was when New York relieved pitching coach Jeremy Hefner of his duties after six years on the job (2020-2025), working side by side with three managers (Luis Rojas, Buck Showalter, and Carlos Mendoza).

While a shakeup of the coaching staff may have been needed for New York, especially after missing the postseason, this former general manager for the Amazins' did not think the firing of Hefner was the right decision.

During an episode of the Foul Territory podcast, former Mets GM and current SNY analyst Jim Duquette called the firing of Hefner "completely unfair."

"It was the same guy the year before that got the most out of pitchers that nobody else really had in a while," Duquette said. "I thought it was completely unfair to let Jeremy go and the other coaches to that matter too."

The Mets firing Jeremy Hefner felt completely unfair, says @JimDuquetteGM.

"He's the same guy who, the year before, got the most out of pitchers that nobody else really had in a while." pic.twitter.com/XpFX8ivS8C
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 22, 2026

At the start of last season, the Mets had one of the best starting pitching ERAs in baseball, despite missing 2024 ace Sean Manaea for nearly four months. However, injuries would begin to pile up for most of the Mets' starting staff.

Kodai Senga, who began the year pitching at an All-Star caliber level, missed nearly a month of the season after suffering a hamstring strain on June 12 during his start against the Washington Nationals. Tylor Megill was then placed on the injured list just days later with a right elbow strain and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery (keeping him out for the rest of the 2025 season and all of 2026). First-year Met Griffin Canning was also lost for the season when he ruptured his Achilles during his start against the Atlanta Braves on June 26.

While Frankie Montas made his Mets debut on June 25 after missing the first three months of the year, he was ineffective during his limited action on the mound and would also end up needing Tommy John surgery, ending his tenure with the team.

Even when Manaea and Senga eventually recovered from their injuries at the start of the second half of the season, they struggled upon returning, which was costly as David Peterson suddenly lost his ace form after a strong first half.

The Mets' bullpen (aside from Edwin Díaz) was also rattled by injuries and inconsistency throughout the year. The Ryan Helsley addition in particular proved disastrous; he finished his brief stint in Flushing with a dismal ERA of 7.22 in 22 games. In the end, the Mets finished the year with a 4.03 ERA (18th in Major League Baseball), which cost Hefner his job.

New York replaced Hefner with Justin Willard, whom they hired back in November, while Hefner is now the pitching coach for the Mets' NL East foes, the Atlanta Braves.

After using 46 different pitchers last season (an MLB record), it is certainly fair to say that Hefner's firing may have been undeserved after the Mets' disappointing 2025 season.

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