Ottavino vs. Mendoza: Ex-Met Speaks Out But Is This Just Clickbait?

Former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino recently went on the offensive against his former team during an episode of his Baseball & Coffee podcast, criticizing manager Carlos Mendoza and the Mets organization for what he called “haphazard” bullpen management and a lack of communication that allegedly led to numerous injuries during the 2025 season.

Ottavino didn’t mince words. He claimed Mendoza “has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to bullpen guys and how to keep them healthy, or even really how to care about them at all.” He went further, saying, “At least half these guys wouldn’t have blown out” if he had been on the team in 2025, calling the situation “embarrassing” and “pathetic.” He also alleged there was “a lot of pressure for guys to play, even when they feel a little compromised,” and criticized both Mendoza and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns for poor communication with players.

And he wrapped it up with a blunt warning: “If they continue down this path, they’re gonna be F---E-D,” because a team “cannot injure this many dudes every year.”

Here’s the thing: I’ve spoken with Adam multiple times during his Mets tenure about Jeremy Hefner and other pitching staff matters. He always raved about the coaching and praised the organization’s approach to pitchers. So now, hearing these comments, I have to ask: why bring this up now?

Ottavino’s claims demand scrutiny, because these are serious accusations but

where’s the evidence?

He calls bullpen usage “haphazard,” but doesn’t cite specific examples of pitchers being overworked. Which pitchers, and in which games, were mismanaged? Which relievers would have avoided injuries under his hypothetical 2025 scenario? Without specifics, it’s impossible to evaluate these claims. Anecdotes don’t cut it. If you’re going to call a manager “pathetic” and suggest injuries were preventable, show me the data. Show how the Mets’ bullpen usage differed from other teams, and how pitchers were physically compromised. Show me statistics of the average usage among Mets relievers and rest time between next appearance compared to the league. Pitching injuries are league wide. Otherwise, it reads more like opinion than fact.

“Pressure to play” – who said that?

Ottavino says players felt pressured to play “even when they feel a little compromised.” Did a teammate actually tell him that? If so, why didn’t he encourage them to speak to the players’ union, or raise the issue internally? If he saw this happening and didn’t take any steps at the time, it’s hard to reconcile that with his claim that he could have prevented these injuries in 2025.

One thing that makes Ottavino’s critique especially eyebrow-raising is his own history with injuries. Over a 15-year career, he has spent significant time on the DL/IL with multiple teams:

July 7, 2010 – St. Louis Cardinals: Shoulder injury, missed 76 games.

April 27, 2015 – Colorado Rockies: Right triceps injury and partially torn UCL, leading to Tommy John surgery on May 7, 2015; missed the remainder of the 2015 season and part of 2016.

May 30, 2017 – Colorado Rockies: Right shoulder inflammation, missed 9 games.

May 28, 2018 – Colorado Rockies: Left oblique strain, missed 14 games.

August 15, 2021 – Boston Red Sox: Shoulder injury, placed on the IL.

He also took a brief non-injury-related absence in April 2023 with the Mets for paternity leave. What stands out here is that aside from his stint with the Yankees, the Mets were the only other team out of the seven he played for where Ottavino never hit the IL due to injury.

Ottavino left the Mets after the 2024 season, and these criticisms are surfacing only now. If the management of pitchers and concern for player health were truly as dire as he describes, why not act then? Call a team meeting, talk to the union, or even bring it up publicly while he was still part of the organization. Waiting until now, after leaving the team, gives these comments a whiff of clickbait—a way to drive ratings and grow his podcast audience.

I’ve always respected Adam for never refusing an interview and answering my questions honestly. I respect his right to his opinions. But strong words without evidence aren’t particularly useful, and they do a disservice to his listeners who want clarity. If he truly wants to take a stand on bullpen management and player health, he needs to do it with full context: show the stats on usage, injury rates, and preventative care compared to other teams. Give examples, break down innings, pitch counts, days of rest, and games missed. Show us which pitchers were overused and how it directly led to injuries. Until then, it’s just a strong opinion, not a substantiated argument.

I’ll give credit where it’s due: Ottavino is intelligent, thoughtful, and experienced. He knows what it’s like in a big-league bullpen. But his listeners deserve evidence before accepting sweeping criticisms of a manager and front office. Strong words make headlines; data makes the case. And if Adam really wants to make this a serious conversation, the next step isn’t a soundbite—it’s a full episode with specifics and stats. Anything less risks looking like a ratings play, (which is working, let's be honest how many of you knew he had a podcast until today) no matter how sincere his intentions may be.

In short: I respect Adam Ottavino, but the Mets’ side of the story—and the numbers—still need to be heard. Without them, this is a podcast rant, not a report.