Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

Stephen A. Smith Urges $344 Million Mets to Fire David Stearns as Playoff Miss Deepens

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

Stephen A. Smith Urges $344 Million Mets to Fire David Stearns as Playoff Miss Deepens

Q: Will Jefry Yan's high-flying strikeout celebrations inject needed life into the Mets, or simply invite brutal retaliation from frustrated opponents?

Jefry Yan’s celebrations are more likely to give the Mets a short-term spark than transform their season, though they do carry a real risk of provoking opponents. The immediate upside is clear. Yan brings rare energy to a club that has badly lacked it during a lost 2026 season. In his debut, he paired 100-plus mph velocity with two strikeouts and visible emotion, and both Andy Green and Christian Scott said that kind of personality can lift a thinned-out bullpen. Former pitcher Collin Balester also suggested the theatrics may work in Yan’s favor because some hitters will press, trying too hard to answer him. But the downside is just as real. Balester warned that repeated high jumps and hard landings could create injury risk, especially for Yan’s knee. There is also the competitive backlash factor: even in a more expressive modern game, some opponents will view the routine as showing them up and may respond the next time they square off, either with words, harder swings, or by celebrating back if they beat him. The key question is whether Yan can keep the show tied to performance and control. He already had one awkward moment by jumping early on what he thought was strike three before the call was upheld as a ball. That reinforced Green’s point that emotion is fine, but execution has to come first. So Yan can inject life into the Mets, especially a bullpen searching for identity. But if the strikeouts stop or the celebrations outpace the outs, the backlash will come quickly.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith blasted the Mets as "trash" and called on owner Steve Cohen to fire president of baseball operations David Stearns after New York was eliminated from postseason contention.
A $344 million payroll has produced a .238 team batting average and a 4.16 ERA, fueling Smith's argument that Stearns' roster construction has failed despite one of baseball's biggest budgets.
Smith also said the Mets should listen to board member Chris Christie, arguing the former New Jersey governor and longtime fan is being ignored as the club searches for answers.
The criticism lands after New York let Pete Alonso leave for Baltimore and after a two-year slide in which the Mets followed a 2024 NLCS loss by missing the playoffs in both 2025 and 2026.

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Fox News2h ago

Stephen A. Smith Calls New York Mets 'Trash,' Urges Firing David Stearns and Listening to Chris Christie

Can Steve Cohen's refusal to fire David Stearns save the Mets, or is their massive financial gamble on superstar veterans completely doomed?

How did a historic $357 million payroll transform the New York Mets into what critics are calling a baseball abomination in 2026?

Will Jefry Yan's high-flying strikeout celebrations inject needed life into the Mets, or simply invite brutal retaliation from frustrated opponents?

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1 total

Fox News2h ago

Stephen A. Smith Calls New York Mets 'Trash,' Urges Firing David Stearns and Listening to Chris Christie

Stephen A. Smith Urges $344 Million Mets to Fire David Stearns as Playoff Miss Deepens

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