Saturday, January 25, 2025

Mendoza On Mets' First Base Future: "We've got options"

 

Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza was upbeat on Saturday. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Mets held their Amazin' Day on Saturday at Citi Field, a welcome sign of a much-anticipated season after they reached the National League Championship Series last year.

"It's a great day," Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza said. You know, it's a great day, knowing you're around the players you haven't seen in a couple of months, but just seeing the excitement from our fans, you know, the interactions and how excited they are because of what happened last year, but last year is last year. Yeah, we had a good run, but we didn't get where we wanted to get, so our goal in 2025 is to put ourselves in a position where we can win a championship."

One thing the Mets revealed at Amazin' Day is they will attempt to finish the job in a new blue alternate with New York in script that was last worn in 1987.

Starling Marte, Edwin Diaz, and David Peterson in the new road alternate uniform. Photo by Jason Schott.


With spring training just two weeks away, Mendoza spoke of how he sees the roster shaping up and gave assessments of some of the new faces he has.

The Mets have added superstar Juan Soto, and while there is excitement over him obviously, Mendoza was asked about the situation at first base, as Pete Alonso, the Mets' longest-tenured player, remains unsigned. 

One thing was clear is that the only infielder the Mets have set a position right now is shortstop Francisco Lindor, and when it came to who will surround him, Mendoza seemed pretty much open to anything.

Citi Field was a winter wonderland Saturday. Photo by Jason Schott.


Mendoza was asked about reports that both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty - who have exclusively played at third base in their time in Flushing - have been taking reps at first base, and he said, "Look, I think it's just more getting comfortable with the footwork around the base, but you know fielding a ground ball and all that, that's not an issue. I think here it's for them to kind of get used to the footwork and getting familiar with how to play the position and receive throws."

When asked if he considers Vientos the Mets first baseman at the moment, Mendoza said, "We've got options, we've got options. You know, we normally ask Vientos to start taking reps, we asked Baty earlier this month, and we've also got some vets there. We signed Jared Young, who's got experience; Joey Meneses, a non-roster invite who's got big league experience. We've got options there, as you see right now two weeks before reporting to camp, and guys are going to get the opportunity. We'll see what happens."

Vientos had a breakout year last season, as he hit .266, with a .322 on-base percentage, 27 home runs, and 71 RBI, after he supplanted Baty as the third baseman in late May, a move that started the Mets' surge.

Naturally, the next question was if there will be a battle for third base, and Mendoza said, "There's always competition, but again, we like what we've got on our roster right now. We keep saying our young players are going to get opportunities, you know, and we're looking at this position where, you know, we've got a Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty - Vientos will continue to get reps at third base. Luisangel Acuna, we also told him to get reps at third base. You know, we know he played short, he played center, he played second base last year, but he's now taking ground balls at third base, so there's going to be guys coming to camp who will be competing for jobs."

Mauricio came up at the end of the 2023 season, but he suffered an injury in winter ball, that December. It was revealed he had a torn ACL and he missed the entire 2024 campaign.

Mendoza said of where Mauricio's at present, "Good, he continues to progress. He's going through his running progression; we're going to take it slow with him. This is a guy who missed a whole year last year, and had some setbacks, but we like where he's at physically right now. He's doing baseball activities, he's taking ground balls, he's throwing, and like I said, that running progression is getting better, but we'll take time with it."

As the conversation made its way around the diamond, second base came up, and if Jeff McNeil will be the starter there, considering he played 110 games there last season, and Mendoza gave a telling answer.

"Jeff McNeil is an important part of this team," Mendoza said. "You know, obviously, the outfield reps with the guys that we've got in the outfield, at the beginning, are probably going to be limited, but Jeff McNeil, as we sit here, he's a big part of this team, and he's been having a really good offseason.

McNeil, who won the National League batting title in 2022, overcame an incredibly slow start last season to hit .238, with a .308 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, 44 RBI, with 101 hits and 35 walks in 129 games. In addition to his time at second base, McNeil played 38 games in the outfield, with 26 in right and 12 in left.



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