Carlos Mendoza took the podium for his first press conference of spring training, and you could tell he was comfortable. Of course, comfort comes a lot easier when you're coming off a year where you led the Mets to within two games of the World Series in your rookie season as a manager and you add Juan Soto. But Mendoza wasn’t interested in looking back—he’s focused on 2025, expectations be damned.
Before anyone could warm up with a question about the weather in Port St. Lucie or whether he prefers his coffee black, the topic on everyone’s mind came up: Pete Alonso.
"Pete Alonso right away, huh?" Mendoza said with a smile, knowing full well the beat reporters weren’t going to ease into this one. “It’s hard for me to sit here and not talk about Pete, but he hasn’t been official yet. He’s going through his physicals this morning.”
Translation: You’ll get your Alonso answers, but not just yet. Still, Mendoza made it clear he’s thrilled at the prospect of keeping the face of the franchise right where he belongs. “We know what he brings to the table,” Mendoza said. “His personality, how much he wanted to be here and accomplish the ultimate goal.”
Mendoza knows expectations have changed. Last spring, the Mets were a team with potential, but no one was anointing them contenders. Now, after a deep playoff run, adding Juan Soto and an aggressive offseason, the chatter is different. But Mendoza isn’t letting that noise inside the clubhouse.
"Expectations externally—I get it,” he said. “There’s people talking, but at the end of the day, it’s what we believe in here. We’ve got to take care of the things we need to take care of.”
It’s a classic baseball answer, but it’s also the right one. Mendoza isn’t about to let the pressure of expectations weigh his team down. “You have to embrace those expectations,” he said. “What’s the alternative?”
One thing that is definitely different in year two? Mendoza himself. “A lot different,” he admitted. “You’re not meeting 20 people every day. You’re familiar with the organization, familiar with the processes, familiar with the players. You have a foundation.”
That doesn’t mean he’s resting on last year’s success. Mendoza emphasized that he’s always looking for ways to improve. “I pride myself on being a good communicator,” he said. “I still feel like I’ve got to get better at that. I’ve got to get better at connecting with people.”
Another key figure in camp? Kodai Senga, who is ramping up slowly after coming back from last years injuries, Mendoza’s plan? Take it as it comes. “We just got to see the intensity and how he’s going to bounce back,” he said. “Our goal is to have him ready to break camp. What is that going to look like? We’ll see.”
Mendoza also touched on Brett Baty, who will see time at both third base and second base this spring. The Mets want to keep him “in the dirt,” as Mendoza put it, but he didn’t rule out some occasional outfield work.
On the position player side, Mendoza addressed Jeff McNeil’s role, reaffirming that he will primarily play second base but could see time in the outfield depending on how the roster shapes up. While Mendoza made it clear that “every position is up for grabs,” he emphasized that McNeil enters camp with the opportunity to be the team’s starting second baseman. "Jeff is pretty much right there. He’s a big part of this team," Mendoza said. However, he also stressed that competition is important, not just for McNeil, but for everyone. "There's got to be some sense of urgency. You always feel like somebody's trying to take your job, and that's the mentality," he added, expressing confidence that a competitive environment will bring out the best in McNeil and his teammates.
Mendoza also discussed the team’s plans for Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña, two young prospects who could see time in different roles this spring. Williams will get reps in center field, while Acuña will mostly stay in the infield, with Mendoza hinting at some experimental alignments. "Don't be surprised if you see Acuña up there, Baty at second—we're going to see what these guys can do on certain days," he said. While Acuña’s primary home will likely be on the dirt, Mendoza left the door open for adjustments as camp progresses. "Maybe, you know, three weeks from now, that changes." In other words, don’t carve anything in stone just yet—at least not until we figure out if Acuña’s best position is third base, shortstop, or second.
As for Ronnie Mauricio, he’s still working his way back from injury. Mendoza confirmed that he’s going through running progression, meaning he’s probably at the point where he can jog but not yet steal bases—or, as Mets fans might call it, the Daniel Vogelbach Special.
As the Mets continue to evaluate their options, Mendoza emphasized the importance of flexibility, competition, and keeping all possibilities on the table—
And then there’s that always-enticing six-man rotation discussion. Mendoza acknowledged it’s an option, but it all comes down to Senga’s health. “If Senga’s healthy, which he is, there’s a good chance we’ll go with a six-man rotation throughout the year.”
Mets’ rotation is shaping up to be a spring training subplot worth watching. Right now, the competition for the sixth spot features Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn, and Tylor Megill, with all three being built up as starters. Blackburn, coming off an injury, might be a step behind in the early going, but the plan is for him to be fully stretched out by Opening Day. Megill, meanwhile, arrived at camp in good shape and already throwing live BP, so he’s firmly in the mix. Mendoza made it clear that tough decisions will have to be made if everyone stays healthy—though with the way the baseball gods tend to treat Mets pitchers, that’s a pretty big “if.” As for depth options, Max Kranick and José Buttó are both viewed more as long-relief/multi-inning guys rather than true starting candidates, but either one could step in if needed. In other words, there’s competition, there’s depth, and there’s at least a 75% chance that by June, the Mets will be calling up someone from Triple-A due to injury.
Perhaps the best Mendoza quote of the day came when asked about having a player like Alonso, who can be penciled into the middle of the lineup every single day. “It’s huge,” Mendoza said. “As a manager, having the feel and knowing who’s going to be in the middle of your lineup… you don’t have to worry about him.”
That consistency matters. That presence matters. And, if all goes according to plan, Mendoza and his Mets are hoping to be talking about Pete Alonso in October—not just in February.
Of all the problems a Mets manager could have, “too many good hitters” isn’t the worst one. Carlos Mendoza knows this. He also knows that at some point, he’s going to have to stop tinkering with lineup possibilities in his head and actually put names on paper. For now, though, he’s enjoying the options.
“We’ve got some really good choices,” Mendoza said with a grin, knowing full well that any batting order featuring Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo is going to spark endless debate. “I’ve been playing around, I’m not going to lie. What does it look like if we go this way? What about that way? Who are we facing?”
One thing seems certain—Lindor is leading off. After that? Mendoza isn’t tipping his hand just yet. Last year, Yankees manager Aaron Boone came out early and declared Soto and Judge his No. 2 and 3 hitters and stayed with it all the way to the World Series. Carlos Mendoza wants to sit down with his stars first. He needs to talk with Soto, check in with Alonso after his physical and the ink on his contract dries, and see what works best for the team. Maybe it’s Soto hitting second, Alonso cleaning up, and Mark Vientos somewhere in the mix. Maybe it’s something else entirely. Either way, the Mets have a lineup that should keep opposing pitchers up at night—and their own manager busy scribbling out different combinations in his notebook.
As the Mets settle into camp, one thing is clear—Carlos Mendoza is confident in his roster but fully aware of the challenges ahead. From setting expectations to evaluating position battles, he’s focused on keeping competition alive while maintaining the strong clubhouse culture that helped propel the Mets to October last year. With key decisions looming on the rotation, young prospects pushing for playing time, and the excitement surrounding Pete Alonso’s expected return, the Mets’ spring training is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in years. Now, it’s just a matter of making sure they carry that momentum all the way through to Opening Day—and beyond.
Here is the complete press conference:
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