The 2025 Mets began trickling into Port St. Lucie on Monday. Francisco Lindor took batting practice. So did the newly acquired Nick Madrigal. Tylor Megill showed off the new spring training hat. And Francisco Alvarez, who said he spent the offseason getting mentally stronger, made a bold statement.
“I think it’s going to be a great lineup,” the catcher said. “I think we are the best lineup in the whole baseball. It’s what I think. We have speed … we have power, we have hitting guys. We have power hitters. We have everything so I think we are the best lineup in baseball so we can fight with any team.”
The Mets added Juan Soto to a lineup that scored the seventh most runs in baseball a year ago.
Alvarez also said he thought a healthy Kodai Senga would be a big plus this season: “He’s nasty and he’s going to help the team a lot.”
An improved offense, Senga and Alvarez’s improved mental toughness – “my mind is going to be way stronger than last year” – will hopefully help the 23-year-old reach his goal for 2025.
“Win the World Series.”
Canning Raring to Go
Meanwhile, Griffin Canning, who the Mets signed as a free agent this winter after he went 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA with the Angels, told reporters he hopes to earn a spot in the rotation. He is likely to be competing with Megill and Paul Blackburn.
“I’m sure I’m competing for a spot, but that’s all you can ask,” he said. “You know, I think competition brings out the best in guys, so yeah, looking forward to just learning from Hef (pitching coach Jeremy Hefner) and some of these other guys and some of the other pitchers on the staff and just competing and having fun.
“It’s exciting. I think we’ve got a lot of guys that can go out there and compete and dominate, so, like I said, I think we’re just looking forward to getting started here and see what we got.”
Family Matters for Stanek
Reliever Ryne Stanek, acquired at the trade deadline and re-signed to a one-year contract last month, said the organization’s emphasis on family in part helped him make the call to come back to Queens.
“The clubhouse and the vibe,” the 33-year-old said. “And obviously, the team is good. But they were really welcoming for me and my family … the baseball is the baseball.”
Stanek isn’t the first Met to comment on the team’s family-first atmosphere. It’s what landed the Mets Soto and re-signed Sean Manaea. More importantly, it’s what makes them a tight-knit group on and off the field, from the players to staff to partners.
“It’s a lot of the stuff that goes into the behind the scenes, like the quality of life things for families that matter for people with kids… that actually takes a bigger weight than most people would assume. They took great care of my family andthat meant a lot to me..”
