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Tag: Carlos Mendoza

  • Edgardo Alfonzo wants to join Mets’ coaching staff

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    Oct 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Former New York Mets Edgardo Alfonzo throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game four of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

    ONLY IN AMNEWYORK

    Edgardo Alfonzo is monitoring the New York Mets’ coaching staff shakeup following their prolonged 2025 collapse, and he wants back on the ship. 

    The former infielder, All-Star, and Silver Slugger told amNewYork that he wants to be a part of manager Carlos Mendoza’s coaching staff after president of baseball operations David Stearns dismissed hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, and third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh. Bench coach John Gibbons resigned, and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock retired, while assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel and bullpen coach Jose Rosado were given permission to speak with other teams. 

    “It would definitely be a privilege to work with Carlos and his staff helping the Mets, doing whatever [they need],” Alfonzo told amNewYork. “It would be a privilege to join the big-league club.”

    Following a decorated playing career that spanned 12 MLB seasons from 1995-2006 — he called Queens home from 1995-2002 — Alfonzo hasn’t strayed far from the organization that signed him 34 years ago while attempting to build up his coaching resume.

    He joined the Mets’ Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones, as a bench coach in 2014 and, within three years, took over as manager. He led the Cyclones to a New York-Penn League Championship in 2019 — the club’s first league title in 18 years. Just five weeks later, though, he was informed by former Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen that his contract would not be renewed in what was a shock move at the time. The Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League hired him as manager for the 2022 season, but let him go after just one year. 

    Alfonzo spent the 2025 season working as a special advisor throughout the Mets’ minor-league system, working closely with managers and bench coaches. 

    “I really liked our talent in the organization,” he said. “The future is looking strong.”

    Edgardo Alfonzo Mets FerryHawks
    Edgardo Alfonzo (Reuters)

    If the 51-year-old has it his way, he’ll be working with some of that future talent someday at Citi Field, as either the bench-coach, hitting coach or third-base-coach role is best suited for him. 

    “Being on the big-league team under Mendoza, that would be great,” Alfonzo said. “I really loved the atmosphere up there.”

    Alfonzo appears to already be well-regarded by the organization’s current regime. While he was elected to the franchise’s Latin American Hall of Fame over the summer, he was also in correspondence with Mendoza during the final stretch of the season, which saw the Mets go from being Major League Baseball’s best team in June to completely missing the postseason on the final day of the regular season. 

    “You have to be positive. You have to believe,” Alfonzo said on Sept. 12. “That’s what I was talking to [Mendoza] about. It’s bad that you’re going through this stretch right now, getting to the end of the season, but you have to believe that those guys can do the job.”

    For more on Edgardo Alfonzo and the Mets, visit AMNY.com

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    Joe Pantorno

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  • Bobby Valentine weighs in on Mets’ 2025 struggles: ‘That distraction of winning has to be combatted’ | amNewYork

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    QUEENS, NY — Bobby Valentine has a pretty good idea what Carlos Mendoza and the 2025 Mets are going through. 

    The former Mets skipper, who manned the helm in Queens from 1996-2002, was stuck in the mud 26 years ago when his 1999 squad was 27-28 on June 5, 1999. Shortly after three of his coaches were fired, he brashly predicted that his club would go 40-15 in the next 55 games or he’d quit. 

    It was close enough. Those 1999 Mets went 40-18 in their next 58 games, won 97 games, and advanced to the NLCS.

    “I was going to text Carlos a month ago and tell him to predict 40-15, or I’ll quit,” Valentine, who is in town for the Mets’ alumni classic on Saturday, joked prior to Friday night’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. 

    Mendoza doesn’t have nearly as much runway to turn things around for these Mets, but things are looking dire heading into a pivotal weekend series. After starting the 2025 campaign 45-24, the Mets have gone 31-47 — the fourth-worst record in the majors during that span. 

    It has left them on the postseason bubble. They entered Friday night with a slim 1.5-game advantage over the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants for the No. 3 NL Wild Card spot, which is the final playoff berth up for grabs. 

    Valentine is convinced that these Mets are stuck in their own heads.

    “When things go wrong, it’s because distractions have entered the room, and sometimes it’s the room of the group and sometimes it’s just the room, the bedroom of the player,” he said. “When that distraction is there, somehow you gotta eliminate it. And the biggest distraction you have in this town is winning, which happens after the game. It’s when it’s all over that the winning occurs, and somehow, you gotta get them back to playing.”

    He cited Thursday night’s 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies — their sixth-straight defeat — as the perfect example. New York scored four runs in the first inning, then saw each of the remaining 25 at-bats result in an out. 

    “The first inning… boom, boom, things are happening, they were just playing all of a sudden,” Valentine said. “And then they started thinking about winning again after four runs, it seemed. That distraction of winning has to be combatted, and in this town, it has to be dealt with more strongly. This is a tough place to play unless you just go play. Then it’s just the same game.”

    Carlos Mendoza Mets
    Carlos Mendoza. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

    There does not seem to be a resolution, though, as the Mets have been plagued by the same issues for much of the last three months. When they hit, they can’t pitch. When they pitch well, they can’t hit. 

    “It sucks when everything’s going bad and you try to do your best and nothing’s come out of it,” Mets legend and 1999 team member, Edgardo Alfonzo, said. “But at the same time, you have to be positive. You have to believe. That’s what I was talking to [Mendoza] about. It’s bad that you’re going through this stretch right now getting to the end of the season, but you have to believe that those guys can do the job.”

    Mendoza’s message has generally met those guidelines. He has often transmitted his overwhelming trust in the guys he has. That struck a chord with Valentine.

    “You gotta believe as you’re going through it that you got the right roadmap,” he said. “And I really liked what I heard up here, giving answers to unanswerable questions.”

    For more on Bobby Valentine and the Mets, visit AMNY.com

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    Joe Pantorno

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  • Jonah Tong makes a whale of a debut for Mets after speeding his way to The Show | amNewYork

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    Jonah Tong (21) struck out six over five strong innings in his Mets debut, a 19-9 rout of the Miami Marlins on Aug. 29, 2025.

    Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

    Less than two weeks ago, Jonah Tong was wearing a Toy Story-themed jersey in his final Double-A start with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. On Friday night in New York, making his MLB debut in the Mets’ black alternates, he earned a spot in a Major League starting rotation.

    The buzz around the debut of a second top pitching prospect this month enthralled a sellout crowd of 42,112 at Citi Field. From his pregame walk from the Mets’ bullpen in right-center, through his six-pitch first inning and with each of his six strikeouts, the Mets’ faithful welcomed him as a savior to their club after stretches of poor pitching and a lethargic offense this summer.

    He was every bit as advertised.

    Tong threw five complete innings in his MLB debut, allowing four hits and one earned one. He struck out six. His ERA currently sits at 1.80. He was buoyed by the support of a Mets’ home game record 19 runs — a Mets record for a home game.

    “Insane,” Tong said after the Mets’ 19-9 win over the Miami Marlins. “I mean, that’s everything I ever dreamed of as a kid growing up, and to see it unfold like that, it’s insane. That’s the only word I can really describe that.”

    Jonah Tong’s ‘funky delivery’ wows Mets skipper

    Jonah Tong staring into his glove about to throw ball for Mets
    Mets starting pitcher Jonah Tong (21) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Aug. 29, 2025.Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

    Tong’s Tim Lincecum-like delivery makes him tough to hit. He comes over the top and extends his frame. His fastball breaks more than 18 inches. This deception fools hitters.

    “It’s a funky delivery,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He comes out over the top, and it’s kind of like crossfire, so he’s got a lot going on there, and you could tell hitters have a hard time picking it up.”

    The 22-year-old required just six pitches to send down the top of the Marlins’ order in the first inning. Five of those were strikes. He recorded all three outs on three straight pitches.

    His pitch arsenal includes a four-seam fastball — which touched the mid-to-high 90s on Friday — a changeup and a curveball.

    Throughout his debut, Tong impressed with his ability to bounce back after falling behind early in the count. It was impressive, considering the rhythm of the first few innings often involved Tong getting three outs relatively quickly, then eagerly waiting as the Mets’ offense decimated the Marlins.

    Overall, Tong was happy with his start. But he feels he has work to do — namely, managing the count.

    “I think just some execution things,” he said. “There are some counts I stretched out, especially in the second, especially last inning too.”

    He made a splash! Jonah Tong (21) gets splashed by teammates after the team’s 19-9 win over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Aug. 29, 2025.Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

    In the second inning, he surrendered a leadoff double to Otto Lopez, who moved to third on a Liam Hicks groundout. Connor Norby worked him to a 3–1 count, but Tong fooled him with a changeup that landed just below the zone, then got him to line out.

    The next batter, Troy Johnston, laid off a fastball in the dirt and an inside curveball. Tong evened the count with a swinging strike on a high fastball and a called strike on a changeup at the bottom of the zone. Johnston grounded out on a curveball that broke low.

    “That curveball,” Mendoza said, “It was better than anticipated. Everybody talks about the fastball and the changeup, but the curveball, I was talking to Grayson Crawford, one of our pitching coordinators, and he said that today was probably the best curveball he’s seen him throw.”

    Despite allowing a leadoff double, Tong did not allow the run to score.

    Tong escaped a similar jam in the third. He allowed a leadoff single to Eric Wagaman, but struck out Joey Wiemer on three pitches — the first strikeout of his career — with a curveball that rose to the middle of the zone and dropped below the outside corner. He gave up a single to Xavier Edwards and fell behind 3–0 on Jakob Marsee, whilst allowing the runners to advance to second and third on a wild pitch. He struck him out with a fastball on the edge of the zone, then got Agustín Ramírez to ground out.

    Following a 1–2–3 fourth, Tong conceded a leadoff single in the fifth to Johnston, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a Wagaman RBI single. Two batters later, Edwards grounded into what should have been a double play, but New York’s middle infielders, Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty, failed to execute. Lindor was tagged with a missed catch error. Then, Marsee hit a ground ball off the cuff of Pete Alonso’s glove, allowing Wagaman to score. Alonso was charged with a fielding error. Edwards and Marsee, who moved into scoring position on the play, later scored. Neither was an earned run for Tong.

    With his pitch count rising, Tong’s final hitter ended with a strikeout, as he sent down Hicks to end the inning.

    Afterward, Mendoza confirmed that Tong had earned another start and would become part of a six-man rotation moving forward.

    How did that sound to Tong?

    “Sweet,” he said.

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    By Miles Bolton

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  • Winter Meetings primer: Mets could be big spenders with Japanese superstars on the market

    Winter Meetings primer: Mets could be big spenders with Japanese superstars on the market

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    The Mets have spent the last few weeks paving the road for a busy offseason. Finally, things are about to speed up.

    The Winter Meetings begin Sunday in Nashville, with all of baseball set to descend on the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The palatial complex will be the home base for thousands of baseball personnel from Sunday through Wednesday, and it will be a grand stage for the Shohei Ohtani show.

    Baseball’s unicorn is a free agent and it’s the hottest topic in the game. The Mets may end up in the mix for the two-way superstar, but the club has other needs they will look to fill as well.

    Here’s a look at what to expect from the Mets this week.

    THE DECISION 2.0

    Ohtani’s decision is the most important storyline of the offseason and for good reason: He’s the biggest domino that has to fall before some of the other free agents come off the board.

    This whole thing is somewhat mysterious. No one knows if he’ll be the same pitcher in 2025. We also don’t know what the market for him will look like given all the uncertainty.

    But that could change next week in Nashville. Ohtani might not like being the center of attention but greats like him command the spotlight whether or not they welcome it. What better time to decide than the Winter Meetings? Even if the former Los Angeles Angel doesn’t sign next week, we’ll still come away from the week with a better idea of his market.

    ESPN’s Jeff Passan said the Mets initially pursued Ohtani, but have since turned their attention elsewhere. Things could change, but for now, it looks as though Ohtani won’t be taking his talents to Queens.

    ARMS RACE

    This starts with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. We already know the Mets are heavily pursuing the 25-year-old and have been since the Orix Buffaloes posted him a few weeks ago.

    The club views Yamamoto as a long-term rotation fixture. In 2024 and 2025, they could put him behind another Japanese right-hander, Kodai Senga. By 2026, he could be headlining a rotation that consists of mostly homegrown talent in pitchers like Mike Vasil, Blade Tidwell and Christian Scott.

    But the Mets need much more than just Yamamoto if they want to be able to compete for a playoff spot next season. Plus, they’ll have competition for his services, competing with the Yankees for the first time in years for a high-profile free agent, and the first time in the Steve Cohen era. So while Yamamoto is the big name to watch, we’ll find out what else the Mets are looking for in terms of starting pitching help.

    If all goes well, the Mets could leave Nashville with a couple of new starting pitchers and some bullpen help.

    BIG SPENDERS

    The Mets spent what they thought was needed to win a pennant last season. The 2023 season turned out to be a very costly one for more than one reason. David Stearns has been vague about how much the club intends to spend this winter, but with the goal of sustainability in mind, they know they’re going to have to spend in free agency again.

    The Mets have already waded into free agency with one-year contracts going to infielder Joey Wendle and right-handed starter Luis Severino. That could be the tip of the iceberg. The industry is anticipating another expensive winter. The spending will eventually taper off when things stabilize, but that time hasn’t come yet.

    “When you have the bigger jet and you say you’re going slower, you’re still going faster,” super agent Scott Boras said at the general manager meetings last month in Arizona. “But what I would say about that is that I think their idea and their vision is long-term. I think they see advantages in this market and next year’s market. They have a lot of work to do. They inherited a team that had very limited minor league depth, therefore they’ll have to do some very unique things with free agency to ramp up and particularly be competitive in the National League East.”

    ALONSO UPDATE

    Speaking of Boras, he’ll give his usual address during the Winter Meetings. He’s probably spent the last month workshopping lines.

    In Scottsdale last month, he talked about his new client, “Polar Bear” Pete Alonso not being in “contract hibernation.” There has been no word of any talks about a contract extension since then. Boras will have more pithy lines about the Mets homegrown star first baseman, who will be a free agent after the 2024 season, but he doesn’t usually show his hand, meaning any updates will likely be minimal. But if nothing else, it will be humorous.

    LINEUP UPGRADES

    The Mets are in the market for a left fielder and they’ll need to find a DH upgrade as well.

    Currently, there are four outfielders on the 40-man roster and one of those — Alex Ramirez — is not yet ready for big-league action. DJ Stewart will return as the fourth outfielder but left field is currently unmanned and the Mets don’t know what they can get from Starling Marte in right next season.

    Tommy Pham was an effective solution in the outfield and at DH last season, so the Mets may look to acquire a player in that mold again.

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    Abbey Mastracco

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  • Francisco Alvarez says new Mets new skipper Carlos Mendoza is the ‘talk of’ Venezuela

    Francisco Alvarez says new Mets new skipper Carlos Mendoza is the ‘talk of’ Venezuela

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    The Mets have some new fans thanks to the hiring of Carlos Mendoza.

    A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, the Mets made Mendoza only the second Major League manager to come out of the country when they hired him to replace Buck Showalter earlier this month. It’s been a popular hire in his home country, according to another native, catcher Francisco Alvarez, who said his friends and family have all started rooting for the Mets because of it.

    “It’s pretty much the talk of the country right now,” Alvarez said through translator Alan Suriel Friday at the Mets’ ninth annual Turkey Drive in the Bronx. “Everyone is turning into Mets fans over there. That’s all everyone talks about and they’re, honestly, solely fans of the Mets now because we have a Venezuelan manager. So, it’s obviously something that’s really big in the country.”

    Considering there have been 473 players from the country to reach the big leagues, it’s somewhat surprising that the only other manager on that list is Ozzie Guillen, who managed the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins but he hasn’t managed since 2012.

    Mendoza was never one of those players. He was a career minor leaguer before becoming a coach in the Yankees organization and working his way up to the bench coach role in 2020, which is often considered the second-highest position in a dugout. It was not an easy path or a linear path to the Majors for Mendoza, but it’s a path that has endeared him to Alvarez.

    “I’m super proud of the story, of his background, what it’s taken him to get to this point,” Alvarez said. “It feels really good and I’m really proud of it,” Alvarez said through Suriel. “It brings me a lot of pride and joy that he’s been given this opportunity. I think he’s one of those people that can open the doors for other Venezuelan potential managers in the future because of the skill sets that he has.”

    The two have yet to meet in person, but they have a phone conversation already. Mendoza wasted no time in calling up members of the Mets roster after agreeing to terms with the Mets on a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth. Alvarez characterized the conversations as positive with the two of them in the initial process of getting to know one another.

    Alvarez, who recently turned 22, has shifted his mindset this winter as he ended his first full big league season. He’s also healthy this winter, having undergone ankle surgery last fall after the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs, which gives him the chance to hone in on certain parts of his game, like defensive elements behind the plate.

    Alvarez had a prolific rookie season at the plate hitting 25 home runs, the most ever hit by a rookie backstop in club history. But behind it, he struggled. The Mets were happy with the strides he made in pitch framing and footwork, but he allowed 99 stolen bases and eight passed balls, throwing out only 15.

    It’s a point of emphasis for him moving forward.

    “My primary focus is obviously winning — going out there and winning each and every game that we can,” Alvarez said. “But also, when I’m on the play I want to be able to limit the damage that the other teams did. I’m really focused on that, and really focused on calling a better game so we don’t give up as many runs as we did.”

    Mendoza frequently lauded the Yankees team chefs for their abilities to make Venezuelan food while Alvarez’s teammates lauded him for making lasagna last season. However, for Alvarez’s first American Thanksgiving, he’s letting his mother handle the cooking, saying she’s a better cook than he is.

    The Mets handed out over 7,500 turkeys across the five boroughs, helping to feed more than 61,000 people, with Alvarez passing out birds with Mr. and Mrs. Met at Part of the Solution Community Center.

    “It feels good because you know that they’re gonna spend days with their families with the things that they need,” he said through Suriel. “To be able to be out here with the Mets, and to be able to help them, it feels good.”

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    Abbey Mastracco

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