When the wins stop coming, ownership usually gets quiet. Steve Cohen took the opposite approach, and it’s earning him the kind of respect that transcends box scores. At least, among insiders. While his New York Mets navigate their most challenging stretch in years, the billionaire owner is being celebrated for something that has nothing to do with batting averages or ERA—his complete transformation of the franchise culture since taking over. Sometimes the biggest victories happen away from the diamond.
The New York Mets hit a rough patch that would make any owner sweat. After starting the season strong at 45-24, they stumbled hard, losing 14 of their last 19 games and watching their NL East lead slip away to the Philadelphia Phillies. Want to guess what most owners would do? Probably stay silent, let the PR team handle it, or throw out some generic “we’re working hard” nonsense. But Cohen? He went straight to social media with brutal honesty. “Tough stretch, no sugarcoating it. I didn’t see this coming. I’m as frustrated as everybody else,” Cohen tweeted after the team got swept by Pittsburgh.
But Cohen’s impact goes way beyond his Twitter honesty or massive payroll. The real story is how he’s quietly revolutionized the Mets’ workplace culture since taking over in 2020. While fans focused on the big signings, Cohen was dismantling a dysfunctional organizational structure that had employees fighting for basic respect and fair compensation. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo spoke to a team insider who put it perfectly: “He’s the type of owner everybody wants his team to have. He puts his money where his mouth is.”
According to Castillo, Cohen “implemented pay raises across the board after sensing a toxic environment in which employees constantly pushed for promotions because they felt it was the only way to receive more compensation under the previous ownership.” That’s on top of rideshare money for late-night workers and expanded family facilities that players have been raving about. When you’re dropping serious cash on talent while also making sure the janitor gets home safely at midnight, you’re playing a different game than most owners.
While his team struggled on the field, Cohen’s approach to leadership, both in crisis and in transforming the franchise’s workplace culture, earned him praise from across baseball. This is the same guy who didn’t hesitate before offering $765 million to Juan Soto and stood by him during his early-season slump, when the highest-paid contract in MLB’s history appeared regretful among fans and analysts alike.
This comprehensive approach to ownership has resonated with the people who matter most. Francisco Lindor recently spoke about the team’s culture, saying, “The organization feels more stable. The culture is beautiful. It feels a lot better, and that’s very important.” When your franchise player is talking about how stable and beautiful the organizational culture has become, you know you’re doing something right.
Steve Cohen faces latest challenge with depleted pitching staff
The same guy who completely flipped the script on workplace culture—giving everyone pay raises and caring about his employees—is now staring down his toughest challenge yet. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for Cohen’s Mets, they’re dealing with a pitching crisis that would make any owner want to pull their hair out. The Mets dumped two more pitchers onto their already bloated injured list Thursday: starter Paul Blackburn and reliever Dedniel Núñez, making their roster crisis even worse.
Núñez hurt his right elbow, and doctors think he might need Tommy John surgery again. Yes, again, this would be his second time going under the knife for that nightmare procedure. Blackburn’s shoulder acted up, so doctors gave him some medication and told him he couldn’t throw for several days. Manager Carlos Mendoza tried to sound hopeful when he said, “Hopefully that calms the discomfort there a little bit and we’ll get him going, so that’s relatively good news,” but you could hear the concern in his voice.
These two guys bring the Mets’ injured pitcher count to 12. That’s right, twelve pitchers sitting on the shelf. The Mets’ pitching staff has basically turned into a medical ward at this point. This latest pitching crisis tests Cohen’s leadership philosophy and challenges the organizational culture he has built through adversity.
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