The Mets will be hosting their 2026 Grapefruit League opener against the Miami Marlins in just two days, and there have been oodles of storylines worth watching down in Port St. Lucie.
Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza met with the media on Thursday, discussing two key pieces of the starting rotation, a veteran and a prospect who will impact the outfield, and much more.
Here's what Mendoza had to say...
Manaea's Mechanics
Sean Manaea unlocked something midway through the 2024 season, when he switched to more of a cross-body delivery that had hitters looking foolish. As part of that adjustment, Manaea began dropping his arm slot even lower than he typically does, according to Mendoza.
Add in some brutal injury luck, and the lefty had a tough 2025 season (5.64 ERA in 15 games).
But now, Manaea is a "healthy player," and Mendoza says that getting his mechanics right could go a long way towards once again seeing the version of Manaea who took the mound in 2024.
"Last year, that oblique injury was tricky for him, and then he had a setback, I believe, and he was just never himself. It wasn’t easy for him. It was hard. I don’t think he ever got in a rhythm last year, even when he was feeling good," said Mendoza. "Whether it was mechanics, he was just off."
"We felt like he went a little (too low with his arm slot)," Mendoza said, "so we’re trying to get him back to, I’m not going to say normal because he’s always going to have that slot, but those are some of the adjustments that we’re working on."
Robert's Rousing Power Display
Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. has proven that he can be an All-Star talent when healthy, but a host of lower body injuries have caused him to miss a combined 110 games over the past two seasons.
The Mets are taking things slow with their new outfielder, saying he won't play in spring games right away, but that hasn't stopped the veteran from putting on a show during his live BP at-bats.
"It’s pretty incredible. You watch, the sound of it, he’s pretty special," Mendoza said. "Man, I keep telling myself and people here, if this guy stays healthy, we’ve got a pretty good player. We’ve seen it, but that’s our goal. We have to, and I know he’s working really hard, but he’s just very easy. And I think it was 115 (MPH exit velocity), the ball he hit in live BP. It’s pretty impressive."
Benge-Watching
With Juan Soto shifting to left and a healthy Robert locking down center field, the starting right field spot is up for grabs, with top prospect Carson Benge among the options.
But what do the Mets want to see out of the 23-year-old as he attempts to break camp in the majors?
According to Mendoza, it's quality over quantity, saying that how Benge looks at the plate and in the field will be more important that his actual stats.
"I think it’s more the quality of the at-bats … how hard he’s hitting the baseball, how he’s controlling the strike zone, how he’s going to bounce back after a tough game," Mendoza said. "There’s a lot to look for, whether it’s offensively, defensively, and base-running-wise."
"[Benge is] another guy who impacts the baseball to all fields," he added. "I think his ability to control the strike zone—but the one thing I’ve seen the past few days here during live at-bats is his ability to foul off tough pitches, especially when he gets behind in counts. That for me is a really good sign, that he’s able to stay in the fight, and he continues to stay aggressive."
Senga's Strong Showing
Right-hander Kodai Senga saw his 2025 season get off to a phenomenal start, pitching to a minuscule 1.47 ERA over his first 13 starts. But a hamstring strain suffered in June derailed him, and his numbers on the other side of the injury (5.90 ERA in nine starts) suffered as a result.
Senga threw one inning of live batting practice on Thursday, leaving his manager impressed, especially with where his velocity is at this point in camp.
"Really good," Mendoza said of Senga. "I think the biggest thing for me, when you see 96, 97, that’s a really good sign. I thought he threw some really good sweepers, especially for strike one, back door against lefties. He’s just working on all of his pitches, he’s just trying to get the feel. First time out there, the feedback from the hitters is always important, and yeah, I think it all comes down to health. We all know that, and man, it was good to just see him go out there with intensity and throwing the ball the way he did."