2020 Mets Spring Training - The Mets Way

[Sick Of It All]

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Cardinals Way. Those three words evoke an organizational standard of excellence on how winning baseball should be played, the expectation of success.

No matter if you are in the minors or the majors there is a certain way to get the job done. Everyone, essentially, is on the same baseball page.

The Mets, who have not won the World Series since 1986 and have only two championships in their history, have never had such a foundation passed throughout the organization.

The Mets believe that has changed this spring training.

For the past week, the complex has been filled with 61 staff members — minor league and major league coaches, coordinators, analytics department and training staff as the Mets put together a series of seminars detailing every aspect of the game.


“The Mets Way. It’s having a philosophy. It’s having structure and purpose,’’ Brodie Van Wagenen told The Post on Saturday. “We’ve used the word purpose a lot in our meetings. We are not out here to go through the motions. We want to make sure that in our words and in our drills and in our practice we have purpose because that purpose will put us in a position to accomplish what we want to accomplish.’’

Under the leadership of Allard Baird, the VP/assistant GM of scouting and player development, a handbook has been created and practice sessions have taken place. New manager Luis Rojas ran the outfield segment of the program earlier this week. This is a total hands-on approach.

There will be no more guessing how things should be done. The Mets Way is a real thing now and not just a negative comment tossed at the organization for messing up in some strange, bizarre Mets way.

There is a worksheet on how better to connect with players, essentially how to teach effectively, which was designed by R. L’Heureux Lewis-McCoy, an associate professor in the Sociology of Education program in the Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science and Humanities at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Lewis-McCoy will visit camp during spring training.

“He will meet with the coaches, the mental skills coaches, analytics, trainers, everybody,’’ Baird told me. “He understands how to teach different generations and people from all over. This kind of goes to where the game is today. In that you are always looking for that edge.’’

Baird spent the first year of his job evaluating and drawing up such a plan.


“We’ve had good staff, we’ve added good staff, I also think we got the resources from ownership, we’ve got real technology now,’’ Baird said. “The purpose of the five breakout sessions [this past week] was to say, OK, what is our goal? Where do we want to be in these specific areas at the end of spring training. The coaches are the CEOs of that particular area, whether it’s catching, pitching, hitting, infield, baserunning, outfield. After they describe that goal: OK, how are we going to get there?

“Then after that we wanted guys to talk about philosophy, teaching, drills and the technology we are going to use, all those things, that last part was the meat of the session and there will be continuation all the way through the minor leagues.’’


Details, such as how to handle an outfielder who wants to show off his arm or how to best change an infielder’s poor setup position, were covered.

One of the keys, said Gary DiSarcina, who ran the infield breakout session, is “asking a player early on in his career: How does he want to be remembered as a player?’’

Mets coaches and coordinators are speaking the same teaching language.

Explained Baird: “If we send a guy from Double-A to the big leagues, there is not that ‘Oh, my god, I never heard that before,’ so that is what we are trying to create.”

On Tuesday, all coaches will meet for spring training prep. Fundamentals rule.

“Each guy got a pocket-sized fundamental book and watched a power-point presentation and then we all went on the field to go through each fundamental,’’ Baird said. “We are a total consumption of our life experiences and each guy can share that information. When that happens, you got something going on. Ultimately, this is about putting your players in the best position to win. As Luis said in one of the meetings, this is the Mets mindset and he is really excited about all this.’’

The Mets Way needs to be a winning way.


NYPost

[JoeGamer81]

Brodie is a used car salesman. He can **** off.

[YoungStuna]

Brodie’s doing a great job changing the culture with this organization.

Now lets win some games.

[Zmaster52]

Brodie’s doing a great job changing the culture with this organization.

Now lets win some games.

I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks so. I think BVWs done a great job and in some respects, a much better job than Sandy.

****, if Sandy was still GM, Alonso wouldn’t have broken the home run record, Dom wouldn’t have been given a chance to succeed, Rosario wouldn’t have worked through his yips, and so on.

BVW at the very least has let the young guys play, it’s a lot more exciting than watching A-Gon and James Loney. Or Campbell and Mayberry Jr.

Last season was probably the most fun I’ve had watching baseball in a long time, and I think this year is gonna be even more fun - with Rojas at the helm instead of Callaway.


On top of that, this team has more swagger than any Mets team I have ever seen play. BVW at the very least has done a great job between media and bringing in the right guys. Stroman, Dom, Pete, Thor, etc are all guys that can do big things on the field and be beloved by fans off the field.




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[Sick Of It All]

So how did Chaim Bloom did trading his best asset?

[Zmaster52]

So how did Chaim Bloom did trading his best asset?

Downs + Verdugo seems like a better return than Graterol + Verdugo.

Still think Boston is paying slightly too much money to Price. I think they should be paying 35-40MM as opposed to the 48MM they’re expected to pay. Price on a 3/48 deal is much better than what Bumgarner or what Keuchel got on the open market.


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[metswon69]

Downs + Verdugo seems like a better return than Graterol + Verdugo.

Still think Boston is paying slightly too much money to Price. I think they should be paying 35-40MM as opposed to the 48MM they’re expected to pay. Price on a 3/48 deal is much better than what Bumgarner or what Keuchel got on the open market.


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Its a good haul and I understand they didn't think Betts was worth 35-40 million a year in FA but if Chaim would have become GM of the Mets, i would have been pissed if he tore it all down. The Red Sox can afford rebuilding because they've built enough good will with fans having won all those WS the last 20 years. The Mets don't have that luxury, nor should you blow up the core to this team.

Look, Brodie didn't do the best job putting together a winner but its amazing how many people call him a failure for one bad trade. Last time I checked the team did improve by 9 games in 2019 over 2018, Brodie has done a good job of building depth on this team, and he's hired guys like Baird who was an integral part of the 2013 and 2018 WS win for the Red Sox, basically putting together that core. I get he traded SWR and Kelenic but its not all been bad as the media and many fans portray it to be.

[Zmaster52]

Its a good haul and I understand they didn't think Betts was worth 35-40 million a year in FA but if Chaim would have become GM of the Mets, i would have been pissed if he tore it all down. The Red Sox can afford rebuilding because they've built enough good will with fans having won all those WS the last 20 years. The Mets don't have that luxury, nor should you blow up the core to this team.

Look, Brodie didn't do the best job putting together a winner but its amazing how many people call him a failure for one bad trade. Last time I checked the team did improve by 9 games in 2019 over 2018, Brodie has done a good job of building depth on this team, and he's hired guys like Baird who was an integral part of the 2013 and 2018 WS win for the Red Sox, basically putting together that core. I get he traded SWR and Kelenic but its not all been bad as the media and many fans portray it to be.

Stuna and I are probably the only people alive who think BVWs done a good job at building a team.

I’ve said it before but BVW injected well needed swagger into this team and let the young guys play - Sandy would never have done that. He’s put together a nice FO like you said and even better than Baird was Guttridge, a guy they poached from FanGraphs who is thought to be the guy they go to in regards to analytical decisions.

I also can’t remember the last time a Mets team had this much depth. Brodie for sure made some mistakes during his inaugural season as GM but I think he’s done a great job learning since then. The draft was great, Stroman was a great pickup, he didn’t jump to make a deal, signing Betances, Porcello, Wacha, etc were all non sexy yet very effective moves, Rojas as manager really excites me, I love the addition of Hefner as pitching coach, DeFrancesco and Schneider being a part of the staff, and not to mention Meulens and his Mr Worldwide personality...I feel like this is one of the best staffs we’ve had in a while, too.

FanGraphs has us as the 2nd best team in the NL, I agree with that assessment.

Still, this has been a typical Mets offseason - no fault of Brodie. Beltran’s scandal, the Cohen deal falling through, and the other rumors going on have been a bit distracting but whatever.

One thing I’m really happy about though, is Brodie’s willingness to keep the gang together, at least a little longer. I get that Dom and Davis could have been trade bait but this entire roster seems to be friends with one another and guys like Dom are usually regarded as one of the hype men who is infectious in the clubhouse. I’m glad we didn’t take any of that away. Having guys like DeFrancesco and Rojas - who already know the gang at the helm makes me a lot more confident that the right decisions will be made.

Another thing that I haven’t seen spoken about but I think makes a world of difference is the influx of billingual staff members. I think BVW was going for that from the start. Trying to farther create togetherness between Latin and non Latin players I think is incredibly understated now a days. Much love to Mickey, Eiland, Regan, etc but I think having a manager who can communicate with the whole staff without a translator is a huge huge huge plus. I also think it’ll help calm the nerves of Familia and Diaz, allowing for more honest and confident interactions.

Rojas is a smart man, I think he’ll do a great job collaborating with the FO and as I’ve been saying long before Brodie - putting players in a position to succeed.

[Claymation]

Stuna and I are probably the only people alive who think BVWs done a good job at building a team.

I’ve said it before but BVW injected well needed swagger into this team and let the young guys play - Sandy would never have done that. He’s put together a nice FO like you said and even better than Baird was Guttridge, a guy they poached from FanGraphs who is thought to be the guy they go to in regards to analytical decisions.

I also can’t remember the last time a Mets team had this much depth. Brodie for sure made some mistakes during his inaugural season as GM but I think he’s done a great job learning since then. The draft was great, Stroman was a great pickup, he didn’t jump to make a deal, signing Betances, Porcello, Wacha, etc were all non sexy yet very effective moves, Rojas as manager really excites me, I love the addition of Hefner as pitching coach, DeFrancesco and Schneider being a part of the staff, and not to mention Meulens and his Mr Worldwide personality...I feel like this is one of the best staffs we’ve had in a while, too.

FanGraphs has us as the 2nd best team in the NL, I agree with that assessment.

Still, this has been a typical Mets offseason - no fault of Brodie. Beltran’s scandal, the Cohen deal falling through, and the other rumors going on have been a bit distracting but whatever.

One thing I’m really happy about though, is Brodie’s willingness to keep the gang together, at least a little longer. I get that Dom and Davis could have been trade bait but this entire roster seems to be friends with one another and guys like Dom are usually regarded as one of the hype men who is infectious in the clubhouse. I’m glad we didn’t take any of that away. Having guys like DeFrancesco and Rojas - who already know the gang at the helm makes me a lot more confident that the right decisions will be made.

Another thing that I haven’t seen spoken about but I think makes a world of difference is the influx of billingual staff members. I think BVW was going for that from the start. Trying to farther create togetherness between Latin and non Latin players I think is incredibly understated now a days. Much love to Mickey, Eiland, Regan, etc but I think having a manager who can communicate with the whole staff without a translator is a huge huge huge plus. I also think it’ll help calm the nerves of Familia and Diaz, allowing for more honest and confident interactions.

Rojas is a smart man, I think he’ll do a great job collaborating with the FO and as I’ve been saying long before Brodie - putting players in a position to succeed.

Swagger is the recipe for winning?

Sandy has played and started young players, drafted, brought them up and put them in a situation to be successful.

Brodie sucks balls, I personally look forward to get a new owner and have Brodie **** canned.

[Zmaster52]

Swagger is the recipe for winning?

Sandy has played and started young players, drafted, brought them up and put them in a situation to be successful.

Brodie sucks balls, I personally look forward to get a new owner and have Brodie **** canned.

I think swagger, life, energy, and other synonyms are well needed when teams go into slumps.

I’ve made my opinion on Brodie clear, I think he’s done a fine job given the circumstances. My hunch is that he was hired because the Wilpon’s wanted to have a hurrah and make big time moves before they were forced to inevitably sell.

Well, whatever. Let’s see. LFGM

[Sick Of It All]

The book on Brody is ongoing.

If the Mets make the playoffs this year he will be looked at in better light.

[metswon69]

I think swagger, life, energy, and other synonyms are well needed when teams go into slumps.

I’ve made my opinion on Brodie clear, I think he’s done a fine job given the circumstances. My hunch is that he was hired because the Wilpon’s wanted to have a hurrah and make big time moves before they were forced to inevitably sell.

Well, whatever. Let’s see. LFGM

Anyone who suggests that Brodie sucks is clearly not being objective. Taking on one bad contract and getting rid of a star prospect doesn't make for a whole GM's tenure to be a disaster. I was a Sandy supporter and he obviously did some good things but that team was competitive twice in the 8 years he was GM and they never had this much offensive depth, bullpen depth, etc as you said. Story is still being written as Sick eluded to and there were marked improvements from 2018 to 2019.

Its a mixed bag. He shouldn't be bringing in this many of his former clients, he should be more patient during the offseason , and no one should be borrowing against the future today unless the return is a star player.

The media has a weird way of spinning things though. You would think the Mets are the Miami Marlins and that Brodie was the MLB version of Mike Milbury.

[YoungStuna]

I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks so. I think BVWs done a great job and in some respects, a much better job than Sandy.

****, if Sandy was still GM, Alonso wouldn’t have broken the home run record, Dom wouldn’t have been given a chance to succeed, Rosario wouldn’t have worked through his yips, and so on.

BVW at the very least has let the young guys play, it’s a lot more exciting than watching A-Gon and James Loney. Or Campbell and Mayberry Jr.

Last season was probably the most fun I’ve had watching baseball in a long time, and I think this year is gonna be even more fun - with Rojas at the helm instead of Callaway.


On top of that, this team has more swagger than any Mets team I have ever seen play. BVW at the very least has done a great job between media and bringing in the right guys. Stroman, Dom, Pete, Thor, etc are all guys that can do big things on the field and be beloved by fans off the field.




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Last season was a ton of fun. If the key pitchers didn’t **** the bed, we would have been a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. Not many teams were playing as good as the Mets in the 2nd half.

Getting JD Davis was such a clutch pickup. We’ve been looking for a bat like his for so long now. Yeah the defense might be questionable, but we always seem to play better with him in the lineup and we got him for basically nothing which eases the sting a bit of losing Kelenic in the Cano deal.

I think getting Stroman was a really good move and we can probably re-sign him to a contract way cheaper next off-season than Wheeler got because Zack got paid off potential and not results.

The fact is that Brodie did not have much wiggle room this offseason spending-wise, but the moves he made look good on paper. I agree that Brodie has learned a lot already in one year as GM and I don’t think he’s a guy who will make the same mistake twice. I personally think that having Brodie at the helm has been refreshing compared to Sandy.

This is the most excited I’ve ever been for a Mets season in a long time, maybe ever.

[n8ghee]

Chalk me up as another still optimistic about BVW.

Positives and negatives so far, but I like the direction.


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[wiley6]

The Cano trade badly taints Brodie’s tenure so far, not just because of how Cano and Diaz performed last year, but because that trade was a poor use of resources. The JD Davis trade looks like a HR though. I feel like at best the grade on Brodie is still pending. Hopefully his first move will be his worst.