The qualities that defined Carlos Mendoza in Year 1 as Mets manager: ‘Knowing how New York works’

Buck Showalter’s firing as manager at the conclusion of last season had the potential to leave a scar in the Mets clubhouse.

Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo were the highest-profile players to have an excellent working relationship with Showalter, who never had a realistic chance of remaining in his position once David Stearns was hired to lead the front office.

But as the one-year anniversary of Showalter’s dismissal approaches on Tuesday, it’s hard to say team owner Steve Cohen made anything but the right call in allowing Stearns to pick his own manager.

More importantly, Stearns appears to have gotten the hire right.