The New York Mets hired David Stearns as their president of baseball operations before the 2024 season.
Stearns spent nine years with the Milwaukee Brewers, and even though he is not in charge right now, his fingerprints are all over that team. Of the 26 players on the Brewers' National League Championship Series roster, 12 were brought to Milwaukee by Stearns. Of course, one of those players is David Hamilton, who was drafted by Stearns and then traded to the Boston Red Sox.
In Milwaukee, Stearns did not have the spending power the Mets have. Even though the Mets' spending has not yielded a World Series run, fans should look at Stearns' success in Milwaukee and be hopeful of the young talent he drafts and acquires.
Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, Abner Uribe, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Brice Turang were all brought to Milwaukee by Stearns.
Of the players brought to Milwaukee by Stearns, all were drafted or signed in international free agency, with the exception of Yelich, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins. Gasser, Misiorowski and Henderson started the first three games of the National League Championship Series, and Misiorowski is likely to win the National League Cy Young Award this year. Uribe and Ashby were integral to the Brewers' bullpen all season and have been great in the postseason.
Chourio has posted three straight 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, and already has the most postseason home runs in Brewers franchise history. He is on his way to becoming a superstar. Frelick is a Gold Glover who has made key contributions this October. Lara is a tremendous defender and should be a part of the Brewers for years to come. Turang is a Platinum Glover and is regarded by many as the best second baseman in baseball.
Then, of course, there is Yelich, who was an unfortunate foul ball off the knee away from winning back-to-back MVP Awards.
Stearns operated without a huge budget in Milwaukee, and even though he has the ability to spend with the Mets, it should not change the way he acquires young talent in the draft and international free agency. As Stearns continues to add young players into the organization, fans should not be surprised if in a few years the team is loaded with young, talented players.