Where does Carlos Mendozas rookie season rank in Mets history among first-year skippers? Really theres only three choices, and theyre the first three on this list. And it probably depends on your personal preference (and No. 4 could easily be argued up higher and Ill happily take a listen). But for this one voter, heres the list (based on full first year, excluding all interim tenures, which is why Bud Harrelson who never got a full year is not here). 1. Mendoza, 2024 When you consider where they were when they were 11 games under .500, and where they were Friday afternoon, playing the Dodgers in the fifth game of the National League Championship Series still sitting three games away from the World Series? That gives him the edge. Well see from here how he rises up the all-time list, which as we speak: 1A) Gil Hodges and 1B) Davey Johnson). Carlos Mendoza signals for a pitching change during the Mets Game 4 lo s to the Dodgers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 2. Johnson, 1984 Maybe you have to remember just how hopele s the Mets were during the seven seemingly endle s seasons from 1977 through 1983, just how desolate Shea Stadium was. Yes, there were stars in the system and stars on the way, and Keith Hernandez had already agreed to stay. But Daveys leadership was the catalyst for so much of it. By rights, No. 5 should already have been retired long ago by the Mets, and when the time comes for David Wright, it would be an entirely different number. More From Mike Vaccaro 3. Buck Showalter, 2022 Forget how his tenure ended. The Mets went from 77 to 101 wins in a single year, and even Johnsons 22-game improvement in 84 cant top that. The Mets went from a slipshod operation to a profe sional one overnight, and many of the seeds Showalter planted are still in evidence. Mets manager Buck Showalter is seen in his teams dugout during a home game against the Phillies at Citi Field in 2023. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST 4. Gil Hodges, 1968 So much has been written and said about the job Hodges did in 1969, but it was in 68 that his immediate infusion of seriousne s put an end to the teams lovable losers image. And it was an awfully hard job going from 61 wins to 73; on Sept. 24 that year he suffered a heart attack in the dugout in Atlanta. But exactly one year later, Joe Torre bounced into a 6-4-3 double play and the Mets were champs of the NL East. 5. Bobby Valentine, 1997 Bobby Vee was given the latitude to weed out part of the roster he frankly termed losing players, and the ones he kept played Rod Carew Jersey miles above their heads in winning 88 games, the most the franchise had collected in eight years. Theres no telling how long the Mets post-80s funk might have lasted if hed never shown up. Bobby Valentine 9.4.96 6. Willie Randolph, 2005 Randolphs rookie season was an eerie blueprint for Mendozas right down to the 0-5 start. But the Mets recovered from that, improved by 12 wins from 04, and planted seeds that would blo som magnificently a year later. 7. Yogi Berra, 1972 The Mets won 31 of the first 42 games Yogi ever managed for them but once injuries hit he had no answers. And almost from the start many of his players grumbled loudly about his approach. Follow The Posts coverage of the Mets playoff run: 8. Terry Collins, 2011 His way wouldnt bear fruit for a few years but he ended a lot of the nonsense that had proliferated before him. 9. Wes Westrum, 1966 For the first time, the Mets lost last place (inching up to ninth, ahead of the Cubs and better than the Yankees, who finished 10th in the AL). For the only time in their first five years, they didnt lose at least 109 games (66-95). The Mets regre sed in 67 and Westrums fine work is largely forgotten, which is a shame. Mets manager Joe Frazier. New York Post 10. Joe Frazier, 1976 The last bright season for a while, Frazier wasnt a highly regarded skipper in his time or subsequently, but the 86-76 was the Mets second-best record of all time and would stay that way until 1984s 90-72. 11. Dallas Green, 1994 The players strike ended what could have been one of the great single-season turnarounds in team history. Still, 59-103 to 55-58 merits high marks. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! 12. Casey Stengel, 1962 Now that he doesnt have the distinction of overseeing the worst team in baseball history, its fair to give him credit for single-handedly providing credibility for a 40-160 team that never wouldve done so on its own. 13. Joe Torre, 1978 At 66-96 you could make the argument that these Mets wildly overachieved. Never had a fighting chance in Queens. But hed have his day. Joe Torre and Ed Kranepool argue with Frank Pulli after Kranepool was ejected on June 29, 1977. New York Post 14. Jerry Manuel, 2009 Room-temperature guy for a high-octane job. Never a fit. 15. Luis Rojas, 2020 Smart skipper, good man. Just not ready for the job yet. 16. Art Howe, 2003 He delivered a daily example of just how right-on the Moneyball description of him was. Mets mightve been better off with Philip Seymour Hoffman. 17. Jeff Torborg, 1992 The wrong man at the wrong time for the wrong team. In almost every way. 18. George Bamberger, 1982 Never wanted the job in the first place. And it showed. 18. Mickey Callaway, 2018 For obvious reasons. The worst of the worst. Logan O'hoppe Jersey