Mariano Duncan Joins the Mets' Big League Staff: Why a Quiet Promotion Could Matter in 2027

Not every move that shapes a season makes a big noise. This week the Mets reportedly decided to bring Mariano Duncan up to the big league staff, and I think it might matter more than the headline suggests.

Here is what is known. Duncan is 63 and heading into his ninth year in the organization. He started in 2019 on the Kingsport staff, moved to High-A Brooklyn as bench coach in 2021, and has spent the last five years running the bench in Double-A Binghamton. He got a temporary look with the major league club once the minor league season wrapped in September, and the word is that it is now permanent. The Mets have not made it official, so treat it as reported, not announced. The job is described as a newly created Major League coach spot, helping the position players in several areas and throwing batting practice.

Why do I care? Because of who he has already worked with. Binghamton is where Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing passed through on their way up. Those are exactly the guys the Mets need to take a step in 2027. A coach who knew them when they were still figuring out pro ball is a rare asset, and a clubhouse coming off a rough year can use a familiar voice.

Then there is the résumé, which no fan should skip. Duncan played 12 big league seasons, won a ring with the 1990 Reds and another with the 1996 Yankees, and made the 1994 All-Star team with Philadelphia. Later he coached first base for the Dodgers from 2006 to 2010. That is a man who has seen what a winning clubhouse looks like from the inside, more than once. Young players tend to listen when the guy talking has done it.

Now the fan-sized caution. A bench coach promotion is not a hitting coach hire. The Mets still have a hole where Jeff Albert used to be, and they also need to replace Danny Barnes in the quality assurance role. Duncan adds a body to the staff; he does not answer the biggest question, which is who fixes an offense that sputtered. Reports on the hitting coach search have swung back and forth, and I would not read much into any single day's rumor. Whoever lands that job has to be a real difference-maker, and Duncan should be viewed as a supporting piece, not the headline.

Still, I like the direction. For years the complaint in Queens has been that the organization develops talent and then loses the thread once players reach the majors. Elevating someone who has been in the building that whole time, who knows how this system teaches, is a small step toward connecting the two ends. Manager Andy Green gets someone he can lean on for the day-to-day work of getting hitters ready, and the kids get a bridge from Binghamton.

What to watch next: first, whether the Mets formally announce Duncan and spell out his duties. Second, who gets the hitting coach job and how that person fits with Duncan's work. Third, how Baty, Benge and Alvarez talk about him once camp opens in February. If they light up when his name comes up, that tells us plenty.

This will not be the move that sells tickets. But strong staffs are built from pieces like this, and I would rather the Mets be thoughtful about every seat on the bench than chase a splashy name. Let's see what the rest of the winter brings, Mets fans.