Lots of interesting, funny, idiotic, and insightful things were said by the Mets—and about them—recently. Here are some of our favorites.
Your 2024 New York Mets: It’s going to get better.
“I feel like we’re not close to where we want to be and where we should be. It’s going to continue to grow and get better.” -Francisco Lindor [New York Post]
Still weird to me that Brandon Nimmo is a Veteran Leader.
“I’d say [the offensive improvement has been] more than coming. What I’m really happy with is how the guys responded [to] that first week.” -Brandon Nimmo [New York Post]
Here’s hoping.
“Look — [J.D. Martinez’] presence is going to help, big-time but I have a lot of good hitters, and guys that have done it before and had success in this league. To be able to [add] somebody like J.D. to a pretty special group that we already have is going to say a lot.” -Carlos Mendoza [New York Post]
Pete isn’t worried about bad BABIP luck.
“We had some real good at-bats and I know a couple of times we didn’t get rewarded for some hard-hit balls.” -Pete Alonso [New York Post]
‘Before you know it’ or, you know, in like three pitches.
“This is something that Hef has been talking to a lot of them. We have got to continue to stay on the attack and finish at-bats. There’s been a lot of situations where we get 0-2 and before you know it it’s 3-2. We have got to do a better job of finishing at-bats and inducing contact early in counts.” -Carlos Mendoza [New York Post]
Mendoza on his reaction to the blowout loss to the Dodgers.
“It’s part of 162.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]
Too early for a real opinion on Mendoza, but I was happy he brought in Edwin in the 8th against the Dodgers’ heart of the lineup.
“I thought the game was there in the eighth — our best guy against their best hitter.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]
Cool to see Díaz is also a fan of what Reed Garrett has been doing.
“Man, he’s doing amazing. He stepped in the ninth and struck out the side. That’s really good. I can’t always pitch the ninth. I can come in earlier in the game and do my job, and we’ve got someone like him who can do his job too in the ninth.” -Edwin Diaz [MLB]
Weird, a front office that is tight-lipped to reporters but open and honest to their employees.
“Stearns was pretty straightforward with everything, and I always appreciate honesty, even if it sucks. I feel like when I was down last year, there wasn’t that honesty that we have now. And I think that’s huge.” -Tomás Nido [MLB]
I know it’s early in his career, but if Parada has a nice season, it really would feel like found money.
“Everyone says it’s a long season. But until you actually go through it, you don’t understand the ups and downs and different stuff. So a big part of the excitement of this year is like, ‘OK, I’ve been through it one year. Now, what can I do to be better and accomplish what I’m trying to accomplish?’” -Kevin Parada [MLB]
About the only nice thing I can say is that Houser’s fastball velocity is at least the same as last year.
“These guys have been playing great and I’m letting them down right now. I can’t be doing that, so I have got to clean some things up and get them back home.” -Adrian Houser [New York Post]
“I was just making too many mistakes. I think the walks early in the game just kind of affected that and got me there. I just wasn’t able to get in sync in the fifth inning. I need to be able to get some quick outs there and keep the team in the ballgame.” -Adrian Houser [New York Post]
Great in-depth article in the The Athletic with Adam Ottavino…
“It’s just trial and error but eventually you start to see the matrix a little bit because you’ve just been out there enough.” -Adam Ottavino [The Athletic]
You used the cutter a lot in the first half of last year and went away from it in the second half. How does that feel as a pitch you’re sprinkling in?
“Coming into last year, I really did think it was the answer for me for lefties. What I found out over time is that overexposure to that pitch was a big issue. When I threw more than two of them to a batter, the contact numbers just got really ugly. Also, I was using it in ways that were non-beneficial — times I had to throw it in the zone.
If I keep it super flat and throw it high, it’s decent in the zone. But if it has depth to it, it’s really bad in the zone. The depth pitch has to be for chase. So I have to separate those as two different options in my mind and use them as such.
If I go to it with two strikes, it’s more for chase. Early in the count, keep it flat and up in the zone. And I’m not going to throw three or four of them. It’s still a pitch in my arsenal, but I’m happy right now because I don’t have any particular pitch that’s driving the bus. I’m just going to mix it up as much as I can against lefties.” -Adam Ottavino [The Athletic]
Mets really got a good one.
“There is a lot that goes into it. Some of it is what is talked about on a daily basis externally, the transactions on the major league level, the trades we’re considering, all of it. But there is so much that goes on beneath the surface from a process standpoint — how we’re developing our players, how we’re scouting both domestically and internationally, how we’re implementing the best performance techniques through strength, conditioning and nutrition. All of those things are incredibly important to competing at the highest level.” -David Stearns [ESPN]
“I had a very good idea of what I was stepping into. It helps that I’m from New York and know this fan base. For a good part of my life, I was among this fan base. Look, this is the type of thing that never happens, right? Like, you don’t grow up a fan of a team and then one day get to help run that team. So, I recognize how ridiculous this whole thing is.” -David Stearns [ESPN]
This Week in Mets Tweets
@PatMcCarthy_ ‘s dream moment has come. Foul ball right up to booth and unfortunately for him, his spirits were not the only thing that was broken by the foul ball.@HowieRose @KeithRaad @MetsBooth #LGM
Listen Live: https://t.co/TmVvIFMPbx pic.twitter.com/dyJcAaegNa— WCBS 880 (@wcbs880) April 21, 2024
The McNeils have announced they are expecting their second child!
(via IG/jeffmcneil805) pic.twitter.com/D4qctpIrBy
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 23, 2024