Carlos Mendoza didn’t sound like a manager spouting false optimism this week when asked what excites him most about the Mets.
During six weeks of spring training, much of the rookie manager’s perceptions of the team were borne out. That means the Mets have a proven hitter. The starting rotation is not flashy, but it is at a higher level than most rotations. They have a healthy Edwin Diaz in the bullpen.
Coach Mendoza is primarily envisioning a 162-game marathon and the wave of talent needed to survive such a tough situation.
“I’m looking at the teams that are going to be eliminated in Triple-A and some of the guys that are going to be eliminated in Double-A, because I know we’re going to need all of them to get past 162 losses. , that’s exciting,” Mendoza said. “It’s not just the 26 guys that will be active on opening day, but what’s there is encouraging.”
The franchise’s latest chapter begins on Friday, when the Mets are scheduled to take on the Brewers in the season opener at Citi Field.
The Mets had their first home game postponed Thursday for the second year in a row due to weather threats.
For the second year in a row, that threat did not materialize.
Still, Friday is forecast to be clearer than the day before.
After a winter in which new president of baseball operations David Stearns focused primarily on improving the organizational infrastructure and creating a pathway for young players to contribute, the Mets enter a season far from any talk of winning the National League East. Become.
The Braves are the favorites to win their seventh straight division title, and the Phillies have built on the core of a team that has advanced deep into the postseason the past two years.
But in this era of three wild cards in each league, “Why not us?” That mentality started to seep into the clubhouse in spring training, with the Mets winning the National League pennant. He could use the past two teams, the Phillies and Diamondbacks, as inspiration.
And that story surfaced even before the Mets signed J.D. Martinez to a one-year deal worth $12 million late in camp.
The veteran DH will start the season with at least 10 days of at-bats in the minor leagues, putting him in position to join the Mets in Cincinnati as early as a week later on Sunday.
Mendoza, a former Yankees bench coach, will be the Mets’ third manager in the past four Opening Day games.
The Mets hired the 44-year-old Mendoza after waiving Buck Showalter with one year left on his contract at the end of last season. Luis Rojas was hired as Mets manager before Showalter.
Other storylines from opening day at Citi Field:
Will this Pete Alonso play in his final Opening Day game against the Mets?
Negotiations between the Mets and the All-Star first baseman did not materialize during the offseason, and Alonso was on track to become a free agent after the season. Team owner Steve Cohen said in spring training that he was not concerned about the situation, noting that the team allowed Brandon Nimmo and Diaz to become free agents before re-signing them.
The electricity that went out at Citi Field last season without the sound of a trumpet could return on Friday. If the Mets hold the lead until the ninth inning, we can expect Diaz to make a save. He was last seen on the mound for Queens in October 2022 during the National League Wild Card Series. Diaz spent all of last season rehabbing from March surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, which he suffered during the World Baseball Classic celebrations.
Quintana’s chance
After it was revealed that Kodai Chiga would start the season on the IL, rehabbing from a shoulder injury, Mendoza adjusted the rotation to have Quintana start in the opening game. The left-hander was a reliable presence for the Mets during the final two months of last season after returning from rib surgery, but he’s hardly fallen into traditional opening ace mode. The Mets experienced a similar scenario two years ago, when Tyler Megill was selected to start Opening Day.
