CHICAGO — Jesse Winker has been booed a lot since joining the Mets, but he's rarely been booed at Citi Field.
Once the Mets' villain, he was now everyone else's enemy, and he was heckled, especially in recent weeks when the team played on the road in Seattle and San Diego.
That's something his teammates find amusing.
“Everywhere he goes he gets booed,” Francisco Lindor said Friday before the Mets-White Sox series opener at Guaranteed Rate Field. “He's going to get booed here, too.”
The Mets certainly aren't booing.
Since being acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old outfielder has been a steady presence in the team's five-man outfield rotation.
He got the key hit Thursday, a game-winning double in the ninth inning in the series finale at Arizona.
Winker, who started in right field against the White Sox, entered the game batting .288/.314/.394 with one home run and six RBIs in 70 at-bats for the Mets.
“Playing with so many guys I've known my whole life and a bunch of new guys, it's a dream come true.”
When asked about his connections, Winker listed about half of the Mets' roster.
Some of his deepest roots are his connection to Lindor, dating back to their days playing road baseball together as teenagers in Florida.
It's that familiarity that has helped Winker become one of the fastest-growing men.
“It's like he's been here all year,” coach Carlos Mendoza said. “The celebrations, how much he cares, how much he wants it. He's always ready. Even when he's not playing, he knows his role and I make sure he knows it in advance. He's always ready.”
“He seems to be having fun and getting a couple of big hits means a lot to us. We know he's got some really good at-bats and the way he's playing in the outfield. He's a pro and he's always going to be ready to go.”
The Mets are trying to catch Atlanta for the National League's third wild card (three games back at the start of the game), but it's unlikely Winker will be overwhelmed at this point.
His resume includes postseason appearances with the Reds in 2020 and the Brewers in 2023.
“We have a great group of guys on this team. It's a great atmosphere,” Winker said.
In addition to the double that started the winning fightback on Thursday, Winker hit a walk-off home run in the last home game to beat the Orioles.
Winker danced as he ran to first base and said he “lost his mind” with excitement.
The challenge for Mendoza will be finding the right spot for the winger in a crowded scene that also includes Starling Marte, Tyron Taylor, Harrison Bader and, to some extent, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Martinez.
“I think I have really good options,” Mendoza said. “The biggest thing is just communicating with the guys and letting them know where I'm coming from and what I'm thinking. And they've been supportive, so I have to give them credit. … But if they're not in the lineup, they know that at some point their name is going to be called and it could be the biggest at-bat of the night.
Will Winker be playing the villain?
“I'm not really worried about it. They're fans, they're paying for tickets and as players we can react however we want,” Winker said. “I think I can personally get a little better in that regard.”
Winker was booed as an opposing player at Citi Field after multiple interactions with fans over the years.
Now it seems like boos are raining down on him from everywhere except Queens.
Lindor finds the fuss directed at Winker amusing.
“On the road, it's good,” Lindor said. “On the road, it's fun.”
