PORT ST. LUCIE — Glenn Sherlock squinted into the sun in the Clover Park dugout, thinking about the question that was posed: How many major league managers still throw batting practice?
“Not many,” the Mets catching coordinator said. “But he throws pretty well.”
Carlos Mendoza, the Mets first-year manager, was throwing batting practice ahead of an exhibition game, something he has done quite frequently throughout spring training. It’s not exactly uncommon for a manager to throw batting practice like Mendoza does, but it doesn’t happen as much as it used to.
For the 44-year-old Mendoza, it’s another way for him to stay connected with the players on the field.
“I’ve been stressing the importance of building relationships and the connections with players,” Mendoza said. “They have to have that trust.”
Mendoza is the Mets’ sixth manager since 2017 (counting Carlos Beltran) and he replaces a manager that many of the players in his clubhouse already trusted, Buck Showalter. The Mets’ core has seen countless hitting coaches, pitching coaches, bench coaches and development coaches. There have been several different voices coming from the dugout and the front office, sometimes with all of them talking over each other at once.
Trust can be hard to come by with so much turnover, but heading into his first season at the helm, Mendoza has made himself as visible and as vocal as possible to establish it.
“He’s incredibly thoughtful,” said first baseman Pete Alonso. “He does a really good job of making sure that he has a pulse on what his players are thinking. He wants to get the most out of the guys, which is great.”
The expectations for the Mendoza-led Mets were somewhat subdued until the late spring addition of J.D. Martinez. However, the players themselves were quick to point out that projections and predictions are external. Internally, the Mets view themselves much differently.
“We have our own expectations inside the clubhouse,” said closer Edwin Diaz. “We expect to make the playoffs and win a ring. And I think we’ve got a really good team. If everyone stays healthy and we do our things in the field, I think we will have a great year.”
With the way Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns operate under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets believe they are a playoff-caliber team.
BUILDING THE BONDS
Cohen has sought after Stearns, a Manhattan native and a highly-respected executive who formerly worked with the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros, for years. Last fall, Cohen finally landed his white whale.
Gone is Billy Eppler and the discord between him and Showalter. Stearns and his group have operated in a way that has been far more transparent than previous regimes. Stearns has also been pragmatic in his offseason dealing. Some felt maybe a little too pragmatic, before he signed Martinez to a one-year, $12 million contract. The addition of a bonafide power hitter quickly quieted the naysayers.
The manager has been extremely active and engaged with the team on the field and in the meeting rooms. He’s been seen eating meals with players and joking around on the field. Catcher Francisco Alvarez, who, like Mendoza, is from Venezuela, noticed the skipper’s upbeat demeanor in the early days of camp.
“I like his personality,” Alvarez said at the start of camp. “I like how when he’s walking around, he says hi to everyone. He’s very friendly. He’s a good person.”
Approachable, yes, but the bilingual Mendoza has, thus far, commanded authority and respect. The Mets no longer have to communicate with outfielder Starling Marte through an intermediary and the Latin players take pride in having a Spanish-speaking manager.
Messaging from the manager is important, and Mendoza has been able to articulate his messages effectively.
“He’s very, very detail-oriented and very regimented, which is great,” Alonso said. “He’s done a great job communicating expectations and standards.”
Throwing BP and playing catch serves a purpose for the former Yankees bench coach: He finds value in visibility.
“I like to be there for the guys,” he said. “I like to be there for the boys regardless of where we are on the schedule and regardless of how we’re playing. I think it’s important for them to see me there with them.”
THE POLAR BEAR IN THE ROOM
Let’s get this out of the way: Cohen and the Mets expect Alonso to become a free agent after the season. His agent, Scott Boras, likes to take his clients to free agency to gauge their market and maximize their value.
It’s the biggest storyline of the 2024 season and one that isn’t going to go away.
Just how much Mendoza acted as a sounding board for Aaron Judge in his walk year is unknown, but managing the spotlight that will be firmly fixed on Alonso will be an ongoing challenge for Mendoza in his rookie season.
Alonso, along with Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Diaz has been an influential part of the Mets’ leadership since his rookie season in 2019. Mendoza has praised the 29-year-old for how he has handled himself in the face of intense scrutiny.
Alonso continues to say the right things and denies any desire to leave the only organization he has ever known. But if the Mets fall out of playoff contention early, he may be wearing another jersey by August.
Cohen isn’t worried.
“We know how to do this,” Cohen said when he held his annual spring training press conference. “We did it with Edwin. We did it with Brandon after the season, and so we’ll figure it out when we get there.”
THEY’LL BELIEVE LATER ON
The Mets have a formidable lineup that was made better by the addition of Martinez, who can hit 30-40 homers and drive in 80-100 runs. Alonso is expected to produce similarly. Lindor and Nimmo bring power and speed at the top of the order. Jeff McNeil can hit anywhere.
Alvarez will also produce runs, but with the improvements he’s made behind the plate, he’ll prevent them as well. Center fielder Harrison Bader will also help with run prevention, something Stearns has made a priority.
The starting lineup is mostly made up of back-end starters, but the Mets think some of those pitchers are capable of a higher level. Right-handed ace Kodai Senga, an NL Rookie of the Year finalist last season, will miss the first month with a shoulder injury.
The return of Diaz, the lights-out closer who missed 2023 with a knee injury, will be a huge boon to the bullpen.
PECOTA projections have the Amazins’ finishing third in the NL East behind the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies winning roughly 84 games. Fangraphs also has the Mets finishing third with a 30.5% chance of reaching the postseason.
The Mets tend to start over with new eras every few years. We’ll soon find out if the Stearns and Mendoza era of Mets baseball is the successful one fans have been waiting for. Trust has been established between the front office and the field, but it’s not that easy with a fanbase that has more trust issues than the cast of “Love is Blind.”
Regardless of what anyone outside of the organization says, the Mets are bullish in their own belief.
“I’m in the boat where we believe we’re good enough to be where we want to be,” Lindor said. “We’ve got to play the game the right way, we’ve got to back each other up, we’ve got to continue to believe in each other.
“We’ll let everyone else believe in us later on.”
