Houston – There's no way to truly replicate what the Mets did a year ago. They surpassed almost all expectations under first-year manager Carlos Mendoza.
Returning after starting season 0-5, leading to a run to the NLCS, from the OMG trend to the push to the postseason late in the season, 2024 was a pleasant story for Queens.
And now, the actual work has begun.
The team is scheduled to exercise at Daikin (Rip Minute Maid and Enron) Park on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's season opening game.
It's when Clay Holmes scored the mound for his first start since 2018, and the fifth in his major league career.
Holmes – and the rest of the rotation – is one of the Mets' question marks heading into the season, dealing with the playoff or bust mentality.
Check out the early keys of the season.
departure
The Mets took a chance on Holmes, a trusted bailer for much of his Yankees career, but lost his closer job last season.
After signing as a free agent, the right-hander was impressed this spring.
Of course, part of the decision to go with Holmes is that the spinning doesn't have other free agent starters Sean Manaea (recovering from oblique damage) and Frankie Montas (rat stock).
“I wanted to see how pitching swings and how difficult it is to keep it healthy,” Brandon Nemo said.
David Stearns, president of the baseball business, had similar thoughts.
“I think some of the adjustments we saw with the clay are very well adjusted to the longer stintboard,” Stearns said.
Other question marks on the spinning, including right-handed Griffin Canning, are also solid.
“I was impressed that Griffin Canning had a bit of it in our organization,” Stearns said. [spring] He was healthy… and really good looking, and it was positive. ”
The second coming
One of the major disappointments of last season was the performance of Brett Batty. Brett Baty lost his start at Mark Vientos at 3 base and spent most of the rest of the season with Triple A. Syracuse.
Batty entered the spring to win the job, but his potential role became more important when Jeff McNeill collapsed with an oblique injury and opened the spot on 2 bases.
Batty responded with both his gloves and bat, reminding people why he was a highly regarded outlook before last year's struggle.
“One of the things we wanted to see was how Baty comes through the spring, and he answered with emphasis on that,” Nimo said. “It was a great spring for him.
Stearns agreed.
“[Baty] Play well, and that's what we're going to take: he's in a really good place [and] He played well on both sides of the ball,” Stearns said. “I think Brett is in a good-hearted framework and ready to go and compete. He's a talented guy, so if he keeps him in a place where he can concentrate on the moment he's at hand, I think he'll be in good shape.”
Dealing with success
This season, the Mets can't sneak up on anyone. They try to avoid a similar rough start to the '24 season that was almost derailed.
“I think the biggest thing that comes out in the New Year, the new season, is how the guys fit into that locker room,” Mendoza said. “New people, new faces, some of the people we brought back. It's just, 'How long does it take?' How does it go early in camp? I think I can quickly say that a new face is there. That's the people who were here last year.
“There was an unknown in the camp: 'Hey, this is a new team, despite us having similar people,'” Nemo said. Okay, what are we going to get from that? I am delighted to be surprised how this team is shaped on the opening day, but the season will ultimately tell us. ”
– Additional Reports by Mike Puma of Port St. Lucie
