PORT ST. LUCIE — Carlos Mendoza has been ready to play Grapefruit League games for nearly a week, eager to get out on the field once the Mets’ full squad reported to camp. Finally, that day has arrived. The Mets will host the Houston Astros at Clover Park on Saturday afternoon. The matchup will feature right-hander Clay Holmes on the mound and the team’s three biggest stars in the lineup, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Juan Soto, the Mets’ most prominent offseason acquisition.
Here’s what Mendoza and the rest of the Mets staff are looking to see in Grapefruit League play this spring.
UTILITY INFIELD COMPETITION
Nick Madrigal, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña will compete for a spot on the Mets’ Opening Day roster as a bench bat and defensive backup. The question is whether the three of them are enough to insulate themselves should something happen with Lindor, given their relative inexperience playing shortstop at the big league level.
Madrigal will see action at shortstop as he competes for a spot on the Mets’ bench. The 27-year-old Sacramento native is only listed at 5-8 and he doesn’t hit for much power, but the Mets see potential with the gritty infielder. Madrigal hasn’t played shortstop since he played collegiately at Oregon State, and even then his experience there was limited.
Baty has been taking reps at shortstop during spring workouts, but the Mets will have him focus on second and third in the early days of Grapefruit League games. The Mets don’t want to overwhelm the 25-year-old, who only has 27 games of second base under his belt, all with Triple-A Syracuse in 2024. The move from second base to shortstop isn’t as difficult as the move from third base to second, so the Mets can see how Baty has progressed at second before increasing his middle infield workload.
“I think it was harder for him last year making the transition to get some reps at second base,” Mendoza said. “Different angle, turning double plays, the feet turning double plays to the shortstop — I think there was a lot more going from third to second. The cuts and relays, where to go in certain situations, he was able to do it. So as far as shortstop goes, he’s got the arm. I think this comes down to, can he get to the ball? Does he have the range and all that?
“We think he’s capable of it.”
SITUATIONAL DEFENSE AND BASERUNNING
The Mets have spent the last few days of spring training working on baserunning drills, even rolling a TV set out to the first base side to show jumps, first steps and running lanes.
With team defense, Mendoza likes to focus on the situations that happen most often during games. The Mets will go over bunt plays and wheel plays and plays that were often used in games a decade ago, but Mendoza is emphasizing fundamentals of a modern game and wants to see how the team will react to them in live games.
“When we start playing games, those are the best teaching moments,” Mendoza said. “When a situation presents itself, the next day you get the group together in a room and show them the video, talk about the play and open up the floor for feedback.”
BULLPEN HEALTH
A.J. Minter and Dedniel Nuñez are taking it slow this spring as they work back from injuries that ended their seasons in 2024. Minter, a left-hander who comes to New York as a free agent after spending the entirety of his career pitching against the Mets in Atlanta, has been throwing bullpens after summer hip surgery. Nuñez doesn’t have any real restrictions after a flexor tendon strain ended his season in September, but the Mets are being cautious with the right-hander. A rookie at age 28 last season, the Mets think Nuñez can be a big part of the bullpen if he stays healthy.
So far, Nuñez has been around 94-95 with his velocity in bullpens. He threw harder than that last season but he thinks he can be effective in that range if he avoids injury.
“Last year I was touching 97-98 sometimes 99, but I’m comfortable where I am now,” he said through a translator. “My focus is to attack the zone. If you’re not, you’re not a good pitcher.”
PROSPECT PIPELINE
Jett Williams will see action in the infield and center field, Acuña will get reps at third base and Drew Gilbert will get to show off his bat. The mini Mets will be a big draw, but the headline is right-hander Brandon Sproat. The Mets think they have a frontline starter in the making with Sproat, who could be ready for the big leagues later this summer.
However, he struggled at Triple-A last season, so the team will be watching to see what kind of improvements he made over the winter and how comfortable he is facing major league hitters.
