Your 2025 New York Mets: Overall, we did a pretty good job.
“I think we did a really good job of getting guys on. Unfortunately, we didn’t come through with the big base hit, but overall we did a pretty good job.” -Juan Soto [New York Post]
The Mets went 3-3 for the week but with a +7 run differential, which lines up with the vibes.
“We had chances and hit balls hard — it didn’t go our way today.” -Carlos Mendoza [New York Post]
“Sometimes it can be a little frustrating but there’s nothing you can do about it. We have got to keep doing what we’re supposed to be doing, which is controlling the strike zone and hitting balls hard.” -Carlos Mendoza [New York Post]
Jeremy Hefner showing that part of ‘soft skills’ is ‘tough love.’
“[After Megill hit a batter to start an inning] That’s not what aces do.” -Jeremy Hefner [New York Times]
“If I was pitching like shit, I wanted [Hefner] to yell at me.” -Tylor Megill [New York Times]
“That’s a real thing you have to work through, but as much as you can, ignore that and just really focus on what you can control, and that’s being nasty, holding yourself to a high standard. Holding his feet to the fire from my end, trying to do a better job of that to help him reach his potential.” -Jeremy Hefner [New York Times]
Hoping for Megill that he becomes a regular in the rotation instead of the always inevitable answer to a ‘TBD’ start.
“I want to be here, I want to stay. There are a lot of positive things going on here in the future. And with the way we’re playing right now, it’s only going to keep looking up for the Mets organization.” -Tylor Megill [New York Times]
Only five more years after this one having to think about the state of Brandon Nimmo legs/feet.
“For the most part I think we dodged a bullet, so that’s great. I felt it hyperextend when I went over to break down to get the ball and fortunately was able to get off it pretty quickly and prevent any more damage from being done.” -Brandon Nimmo [New York Post]
I know beat writers/fans are trying to force the Beltran/Lindor bad first season narrative, but the guy is running a 144 wRC+.
“For two weeks now, he’s continuously had really good at-bats, day in and day out, and finally it’s good to see him [get results]. Going dead center, and then the left on left there, that was impressive.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]
“I feel the same [as when I wasn’t getting results]. I’m seeing the ball well and making good decisions, and now I’ve been squaring up a couple balls and finding a couple gaps.” -Juan Soto [MLB]
/Marge Gunderson passive aggressive voice/ That’s some real nice detective work there, Torey.
“I don’t want to give away any of our secrets but we identified that their closer, we could potentially steal some bases off of him. And you know, there’s a time and a trigger. … We just got a late jump, a super, super late jump.” -D-backs manager Torey Lovullo [MLB]
The Mets were more inclined to give Alvy the credit than a ‘super, super late jump.’
“Unreal. Not an easy [play] at all. From Alvy not giving up when the runner gets a huge jump, and then Lindor not only picking the baseball but sticking his nose in there and applying the tag, pretty unbelievable.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]
“The ball caught me. I just went over there and stayed down with it, and the ball hit my glove. Credit to Alvy, he was the one who made the throw. I just went and got it. It was almost like a diving play.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]
Tim Britton talks to David Stearns about his Knicks fandom, and my favorite answer is how Stearns really is one of us.
“Does your job here affect the way you watch other sports?” -Tim Britton
“No, not at all because I’m not familiar enough with the inner workings of an NBA front office to really have educated, concrete opinions as to what should or should not be going on. So I’m really just able to watch it for the entertainment of the sport and my rooting interest. And that’s really frankly why I enjoy it and why it’s relaxing. I get to appreciate how incredibly talented these athletes are.” -David Stearns [New York Times]
Another Tim Britton banger where he went to Brooklyn to talk hitting lab with the fun lineup they have right now.
“I had a talk with some of the higher-ups right when spring training ended, and they told me I was going to repeat St. Lucie. I told them, ‘I’m going to make your life hard to keep me there.’ So yeah, it feels good.” -A.J. Ewing [New York Times]
“[2024] was the hardest year of my life, by far. I was constantly reinjuring it during the rehab. Once I was back, it was really hard to get back to the mindset of being able to play and trusting my body fully without thinking, ‘Is my hamstring going to give out?’ This offseason of putting in the work and trusting that has let me go on the field and just play baseball.” – Jacob Reimer [New York Times]
“Our hitting director, coordinators and coaches are all top-notch now. I trust every one of the hitting guys at any level. It’s realizing that they’re not trying to mess with you as much as they’re there when you need them. They like you to do you. It’s not just one core belief. They have a set of beliefs, obviously, but they want you to find your own special way to do that, and I love that. That’s baseball.” – Jacob Reimer [New York Times]
“I’m tall and lanky, so it’s about understanding how to fully use everything I’ve got. Understand that my base wasn’t working the way it needed to work. Using my hips a little more. Staying in my base through my whole swing.” -Eli Serrano [New York Times]
“Honestly, [the hitting lab] was a lot of stuff I didn’t understand. They’ve got to dumb it down for all of us. It tells you everything about your swing you need to know. It helped me understand some things about my swing to work on and keep going.” Eli Serrano -Eli Serrano [New York Times]
Really fun turn around that ‘This Week in Pete Alonso’ discourse has changed from constant contract talk to just how much his smashing the ball.
“He’s so deserving of that, Player of the Month. It’s just another exclamation mark on all the work he’s done this offseason. It seems like he’s in an amazing spot to me. It’s not just a flash in the pan. This is sustained success.” -Brandon Nimmo [MLB]
“It’s not doing something new, it’s just cleaning up and making things more efficient that makes things like that happen.” -Pete Alonso [MLB]
“His ability to control the strike zone is probably the best I’ve seen it. We know the power’s there. We know he’s a good hitter. But he gets in trouble when he starts chasing. I feel like now, he’s taking his walks, and he’s getting his pitches to hit and he’s not missing them.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]
“I never really, truly feel that it’s ever going to be perfect but I just want to strive for that perfection.” -Pete Alonso [MLB]
Nice to see that while it didn’t go how you want it, Blade was still upbeat about making the majors.
“It was awesome, indescribable, really. It is everything I hoped for and more.” -Blade Tidwell [New York Post]
“We saw flashes of his potential, especially with the life on the fastball but we also saw there’s room for development, especially with the secondary pitches. At this level you are going to need secondary pitches to put hitters away, but also to get back in counts.” -Carlos Mendoza [New York Post]
This Week in Mets Tweet
Blade Tidwell is from Loretto, Tennessee. Population: 1,739. It’s a mere six-hour drive from St. Louis.
“I think half of my hometown is coming (Sunday),” Tidwell said.https://t.co/GW4vGwSBH2
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 3, 2025