A few years back, a 22-year-old rookie stepped into the big leagues with all the promise in the world. Scouts called him a “can’t-miss talent,” his swing was electric, and his glove, gold-glove caliber. But after a few cold months and a growing stack of strikeouts, the front office sent him packing. Not to the minors for seasoning. Gone. Forgotten. Another casualty of baseball’s revolving door.

This is the trend that former Mets center fielder Mike Cameron has had enough of. Cameron recently sounded off on what he sees as a broken philosophy in MLB: teams writing off young players far too soon. And he didn’t mince words.

“MLB teams, if you’re willing to bring up kids to the big leagues at 20, 21, 22, 23 years of age, you can’t write them off because they are not performing where you think they should be! Leave them alone and let the kids play like you do in the minors.”

It’s a call-out, but also a plea for perspective, for patience.

Mike Cameron’s frustration stems from real experience. He’s bounced around the league and seen firsthand how clubs mismanage young talent, setting impossible expectations and discarding players before they’ve had a chance to adjust. Think about it: a 21-year-old hitting .180 in April suddenly becomes a “bust.” But had he done the same in Triple-A, he’d be “developing.”

There’s a double standard, and Cameron’s pulling the curtain back on it.

The stakes? Higher than you think. Teams risk burning out their prospects, physically and mentally, by thrusting them into the spotlight, then yanking them away when they don’t shine right away. And let’s be real: not every young player is Julio Rodríguez or Gunnar Henderson out of the gate. Some need time. Most do.

Cameron’s words echo louder in a league obsessed with youth and upside. Organizations draft these kids, fast-track them, then lose patience the moment the learning curve shows up. The problem isn’t the kids. It’s the stopwatch every team seems to have on them.

Let them breathe, let them fail, let them grow.

Baseball’s future depends on it.

Mike Cameron: A voice worth listening to

When Mike Cameron speaks, it’s not noise; it’s experience talking. This isn’t some retired player shouting into the void. Cameron walked the walk: 17 seasons, 278 home runs, three Gold Gloves, and one unforgettable trade for Ken Griffey Jr., no less. And instead of folding under that pressure, he became an All-Star and a fan favorite in Seattle. You don’t survive nearly two decades in the big leagues without understanding the grind and the patience it takes to succeed.

Now at 52, Cameron isn’t just watching the game from afar; he’s still plugged in. On a recent episode of the “Refuse to Lose” podcast, he talked about everything from hitting struggles at T-Mobile Park to mentoring young guys during spring training. So when he calls out teams for giving up on young talent too early, he’s not being dramatic; he’s being honest. He’s seen what happens when potential gets prematurely labeled as failure.

And he’s here to remind everyone that development doesn’t stop just because a kid puts on a major league jersey.