Mets' Manager Carlos Mendoza Bets on Juan Soto to Rekindle 2024 Magic for a 2026 Surge
Sport Bilder des Tages Carlos Mendoza Named Mets Manager New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza speaks to the media during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Citi Field in Corona, New York, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. Mendoza is the 25th manager in team history, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year. New York City United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xGordonxDonovanx originalFilename:donovan-themetsi231114_npyiF.jpg
Sport Bilder des Tages Carlos Mendoza Named Mets Manager New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza speaks to the media during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Citi Field in Corona, New York, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. Mendoza is the 25th manager in team history, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year. New York City United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xGordonxDonovanx originalFilename:donovan-themetsi231114_npyiF.jpg
The New York Mets are sliding. While the club sits at the bottom of the division, manager Carlos Mendoza believes the club can engineer a 2024-style turnaround with Juan Soto leading the charge.
While speaking with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of The New York Post Sports, Carlos Mendoza was asked whether he still believes the Mets can turn their season around.
In response, the Mets skipper said, "Yeah, so when I start comparing our situation this year, our team, our personnel, compared to 2024," said the manager.
"I think it starts with Juan Soto. We were able to climb back in 2024 to something similar here, and we didn't have a guy like Juan Soto," added Carlos Mendoza.
Back in 2024, the Mets orchestrated one of the league’s most historic turnarounds. After failing 11 games below .500 on May 29, most observers ruled them out of the league.
However, they completely shifted their gears mid-season, going 67–40 the rest of the way to finish with an 89–73 record, and as September arrived, they clinched a postseason berth.
Carlos Mendoza highlighted that in 2024 they had clutch players, but this year the depth of the roster is quite different: “This year, I mean, you look at our roster, Bo Bichette, man, Bo is a really good hitter.”
“Every day, it feels like he's hitting the ball hard, and then there are a couple of days here and there where you see him chasing, but he's going to hit. That's why, for me, when you ask me that question, I really believe in this team. We've got talent.”
Carlos Mendoza and the Mets fell to the Seattle Mariners
Despite having a better lineup than in 2024, the Mets continue to be plagued by the same issues that have followed them all season.
Frequent runs surrendered by the pitching staff have hampered the offense. Against the Mariners, the Mets surrendered eight runs while scoring just three in an 8-3 loss.
“We didn’t play well,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We didn’t pitch well, didn’t make a couple of plays behind our pitching staff. It was just sloppy.”
The defensive struggles resurfaced yet again as Marcus Semien and Mark Vientos helped the opposition score in the third inning.
While the team ranks well in Defensive Runs Saved, it's mostly because of Francisco Lindor, Luis Torrens, and key rookies. Regulars like Semien, Vientos, and Bo Bichette have been posting below-average defensive metrics.
"There’s been stretches where we’ve been playing well defensively. And then there’s been stretches where we’re making errors on routine plays,” said skipper Carlos Mendoza.
The Mets’ chances of making the playoffs are slim but not zero. However, the question is, will Carlos Mendoza & Co. be able to pull off another turnaround? Tell us what you think in the comments.
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