Major League Baseball’s 2022-23 free agent period is here, and some of the biggest names in the game are set to move (or stay put).
We asked seven of ESPN’s MLB experts — Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, Joon Lee, Kiley McDaniel, Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield — to predict where the most coveted players will sign this winter — and for how much.
McDaniel: Yankees, nine years, $325 million. If you made me guess (and you have), I don’t think we’ll get a wild bidding war, and the Yankees need him more than any other team. At this sort of number I think they match whatever is out there and they’ll skew toward adding a year to get the AAV/luxury tax number lower.
Doolittle: Yankees, nine years, $340 million. My assumption is that the Yankees will top whatever the market yields for Judge and so I landed a little above the years and annual value of the consensus projections.
Schoenfield: Giants, nine years, $332 million. I’m going with Farhan Zaidi’s comment at the GM meetings: “I think from a financial standpoint, there’s nobody that would be sort of out of our capability to meet what we expect the contract demands will be.” The Giants have enormous payroll flexibility, with only $18.5 million in commitments beyond 2023.
Rogers: Yankees, 10 years, $370 million. Pretty simple. He’ll top Mike Trout‘s deal by $10 million, becoming the highest paid position player in the game by annual salary. How can the best player on the most iconic team leave? He won’t. And the Yankees will pay up to make sure of it.
Lee: Yankees, 10 years, $360 million. The Yankees fan base will revolt if Judge is not in pinstripes next year and Hal Steinbrenner has given every indication that he will extend every possible financial resource to make sure the AL MVP returns. Even if there is a bidding war, I think the Yankees will make any decision very tough.
Olney: Yankees, nine years, $360 million. In their entire history, the Yankees have never had a player who bore more leverage against them than Judge in this moment. In fact, in the franchise’s history, individual players have never really held an upper hand — not Babe Ruth (who was released), not Joe DiMaggio (who retired while under threat of losing his stature), not Mickey Mantle (who retired in spring training), not Reggie Jackson (who was allowed to leave as a free agent), not Derek Jeter (who got less than half of what his camp asked for in negotiations). In this case, however, the Yankees need the player more than the player needs them.
Gonzalez: Giants, eight years, $352 million. Two things we can pretty much assume about the Giants and their presumed pursuit of Judge: They’d prefer a shorter deal, given that he’ll be heading into his age-31 season, and they’ll have to outbid the Yankees. So what about an eight-year deal that allows Judge to smash the AAV record, set by Max Scherzer on only a three-year contract? $44 million a year for eight years is a wild sum. But wild might be a prerequisite here.
Jacob deGrom
McDaniel: Texas Rangers, four years, $155 million. I was leaning toward him returning to the Mets and getting the Scherzer deal (3 years/$130M) with a vesting option based on innings pitched in the third year, but I’m now more convinced that Texas makes a bold move for a pitcher with a maxed-out guarantee and I think it’ll be deGrom. Carlos Rodon would also make sense, but he probably signs later in the winter to ensure he gets a precedent-setting number or two in his deal.
Doolittle: Los Angeles Dodgers, three years, $120 million (with a mutual opt-out for the last season). A deal similar in structure and value to the one Justin Verlander played under this season makes sense. You could see how the Dodgers might see deGrom as the missing piece and how deGrom might be curious to find out why so many pitchers find another level in L.A.
Schoenfield: Rangers, four years, $160 million. The Rangers have already burned one year of the Corey Seager–Marcus Semien era. They brought in a win-now manager in Bruce Bochy and they need starting pitching help. It’s a big roll of the dice given deGrom’s health history, but this is the position the Rangers have put themselves in.
Rogers: Atlanta Braves, three years, $125 million. The price will be worth the double whammy when the Braves steal deGrom from their archrivals. Though it’s a high annual rate, it’ll be over pretty quickly, giving Atlanta a few shots at the title with deGrom but still staying flexible — as Alex Anthopoulos likes to do — with the core of the Braves still in place even when the contract is over. It also gives a little protection for the team based on deGrom’s injury history.
Lee: Rangers, four years, $160 million. The Rangers will need to make another big splash to justify the money they spent on Seager and Semien last year and this is one of the obvious spots they can upgrade. Texas needs deGrom more than the Mets need him, and I think that’s where he eventually lands.
Olney: Rangers, four years, $150 million. There’s just too much risk for the Mets to carry deGrom and Scherzer at $80 million annually. The Rangers are the team most motivated to buy pitching this winter.
Gonzalez: St. Louis Cardinals, four years, $150 million. The Cardinals — venturing into a new era with Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina gone and Adam Wainwright heading into his final season — have money to spend, needs to address and championship ambitions to pursue. DeGrom and his devastating stuff would be a perfect fit for what was mostly a pitch-to-contact staff last year.
The tricky part about this is the next-best-shortstop option in free agency is Jean Segura or Elvis Andrus. So, the teams shopping for a shortstop that don’t land one of these four will likely look to swing a trade to upgrade that position: Willy Adames, Amed Rosario, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Paul DeJong, Miguel Rojas, Javier Baez and Jorge Mateo are the main options. In this scenario I have the Dodgers and Cubs doing that, but it’s more of a coin flip than a strong feeling.
Doolittle:
Turner: Giants, eight years, $260 million Correa: Baltimore Orioles, nine years, $300 million Swanson: Braves, nine years, $150 million Bogaerts: Chicago Cubs, six years, $180 million
If, as I expect, the Giants miss out on Judge, they’ll be looking elsewhere to make a splash and Turner can fit in at a number of spots for them. Correa to the Orioles could be a reach but there is a lot about where the Orioles are as a franchise and the way they go about things that feels like a perfect fit for Correa. Swanson returning to the Braves just makes too much sense to me not to happen. And it’s hard for me to see the Cubs coming out of this winter without one of the top shortstops — and Bogaerts is the one who is left.
Schoenfield:
Turner: Philadelphia Phillies, eight years, $280 million Correa: Giants, nine years, $285 million Swanson: Dodgers, six years, $140 million Bogaerts: Los Angeles Angels, six years, $184 million
This could go in a million different directions with teams like the Cubs and Orioles perhaps factoring into the equation as well. Few owners want to win like the Phillies’ John Middleton, and Dave Dombrowski is the master of signing big stars to big contracts, so I have Turner going to Philadelphia to pair up with his old teammate Bryce Harper (with Bryson Stott moving to second base). Judge and Correa in the same offseason? The Giants could pull it off, even with shortstop Marco Luciano coming up. I’m not buying the Dodgers moving Gavin Lux to shortstop and I don’t see the Braves giving Swanson that kind of money — more than Ronald Acuna Jr. or Michael Harris II — so I see the Dodgers going with Swanson’s good defense to replace Turner.
Rogers:
Turner: Phillies, eight years, $270 million Correa: Minnesota Twins, seven years, $230 million Swanson: Braves, six years, $165 million Bogaerts: Giants (or Cubs), six years, $180 million
Dave Dombrowski has carte blanche in Philadelphia after getting his team to the World Series, while Bryce Harper and Turner know each other from their Washington Nationals days. There’s little doubt Turner’s speed and defense will fit in with the power-laden Phillies. And there’s also little doubt they will spend on someone. The biggest shocker will be Correa returning to the Twins. He made such a good impression there, Minnesota will have no problem opening up the checkbook. He and Bogaerts have done the short-term opt-out deals, so long-term homes are what they’re looking for. The Giants have already stated they have money to spend as well. After the dust settles, could a team in need of a shortstop call the White Sox for Tim Anderson? It’s possible.
Lee:
Turner: Phillies, 10 years, $300 million Correa: Giants, nine years, $310 million Swanson: Braves, five years, $150 million Bogaerts: Red Sox, six years, $175 million
The Red Sox front office is feeling significant pressure to re-sign Bogaerts, and I think they will need to extend beyond their comfort zone to get a deal done. Following the Mookie Betts trade, Boston fans are still feeling raw about the way negotiations have gone with homegrown stars Rafael Devers and Bogaerts. Both have played big roles in championship teams, and given the struggles of the 2022 season, fans will be irate if the Red Sox do not re-sign Bogaerts or replace him with someone of similar skill and then they fail to reach the playoffs again.
Olney:
Turner: Phillies, nine years, $270 million Correa: Twins, eight years, $256 million Bogaerts: Red Sox, five years, $150 million Swanson: Braves, six years, $126 million
In the end, if Swanson is to stay in Atlanta, the agreement has to be a deal that makes both sides a little uncomfortable — with the Braves paying Swanson more than they want to pay, and Swanson taking a little less than market value.
Gonzalez:
Turner: Phillies, eight years, $270 million Correa: Twins, nine years, $275 million Swanson: Cubs, six years, $150 million Bogaerts: Red Sox, seven years, $196 million
I see the Cubs similar to the Giants in that there’s an expectation they’ll spend big on someone. Maybe Swanson is that guy, considering the Braves have shown they won’t let emotion prompt them to overextend on contracts and that, given how it has gone lately, they’ll probably plug Vaughn Grissom in at shortstop and watch him win Rookie of the Year. The Phillies make too much sense for Turner, the Red Sox can’t lose out on another star after trading away Betts, and the Twins and Correa just seem like a good match.
Justin Verlander
McDaniel: Houston Astros, two years, $87 million. The change here is Jim Crane being in charge and he did this deal last year. I assume Verlander’s reps can get Crane to agree to the Scherzer AAV ($43.3M) or something close to it and the question is if it’s a two- or three-year deal and/or is there an opt-out?
Doolittle: Astros, three years, $126 million. Verlander has flourished with the Astros, whose window of contention remains wide open, and it feels to me like he’s hitting the market mostly to establish his value.
Schoenfield: Dodgers, two years, $80 million. Astros or Dodgers makes the most sense, but the Astros can survive without Verlander in their rotation and spend that money elsewhere. Verlander replaces the departed Tyler Anderson and goes to a team where he can win a lot of games and continue his pursuit of 300 wins.
Rogers: Dodgers, two years, $83 million. I really wanted to pick the Rangers but Verlander will end up where the playoffs are a sure thing. Houston has so much pitching, they’ll pass on tying up that kind of money even if it’s just for two years. Los Angeles, on the other hand, needs to assure itself of October success. Verlander can help with that, finally having proved he can dominate in the World Series. It seems like a perfect fit.
Lee: Astros, two years, $90 million. Verlander should be trying to get a deal that exceeds Scherzer’s contract with the Mets and after the Astros won the World Series and Verlander won a Cy Young, I think the two sides will have a hard time parting ways.
Olney: Rangers, three years, $130 million.
Gonzalez: Rangers, three years, $120 million. The Rangers have money to spend and holes to fill in their rotation. Verlander is the perfect guy for this moment in time. But he’ll have to be enticed to join a division rival that is not certain to compete, so I envision a three-year deal made up of player options. The Astros have too much internal pitching to want to match something like that.
Carlos Rodon
McDaniel: Mets, five years, $135 million. I’m leaning toward deGrom walking and the Mets bringing in one of the other top starters on the market. Rodon and Brandon Nimmo are both Scott Boras clients and I think Boras is eager to find out how deep Steve Cohen’s pockets are.
Doolittle: Orioles, five years, $135 million. As the Orioles look to move into the elite tier of the majors, a splash for a hitter and one for a pitcher should be on the table.
Schoenfield: Mets, five years, $142 million. I have the Mets as well. They have three starters in free agency in deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker, so they’ll be spending a lot of money on somebody.
Rogers: Rangers, five years, $132 million. Texas will spend on pitching. That much we know. It wouldn’t shock me if they signed more than one high-end arm, but after retaining Martin Perez and trading for Jake Odorizzi, Rodon is the least they’ll add to that mix.
Lee: Mets, five years, $150 million. This is the pitcher who makes the most sense for the Mets from a value and talent standpoint. Cohen is not going to sit still this offseason and I expect New York to be pulling out its pocketbook again to improve its roster in an area where it struggled with health last season.
Olney: Mets, five years, $130 million.
Gonzalez: Mets, five years, $130 million. I’d love to be different, but I need to stay consistent with my other predictions — none of which have a player ending up with the Mets. The Mets have a plethora of holes to fill on their roster — particularly in their rotation, which saw deGrom, Bassitt and Walker venture into free agency — and are destined to come away with one of the top guys. Rodon might be the one.
Brandon Nimmo
McDaniel: Mets, five years, $125 million. I think Nimmo will be coming off the board sooner than later and the buzz is he’s the Mets second priority after Edwin Diaz.
Doolittle: Mets, five years, $110 million. Starling Marte in center field is not the answer for the Mets and unless they can sway Judge to sign with them to play there, Nimmo is the best option.
Schoenfield: Toronto Blue Jays, six years, $135 million. There is a lot of interest in Nimmo, but the Teoscar Hernandez trade opens up the door for Nimmo to go to Canada. The Jays have said they want a little more balance in their lineup and the lefty-hitting Nimmo goes to center field and allows them to move George Springer to right.
Rogers: Blue Jays, five years, $120 million. Toronto absolutely needs to get more left-handed in its lineup and Nimmo is a perfect fit.
Lee: Mets, five years, $140 million. Nimmo is a fan favorite, he’s well-liked in the clubhouse and there are few replacements for someone of his talent available in trades or free agency.
Olney: Blue Jays, six years, $142 million.
Gonzalez: Miami Marlins, five years, $120 million. The Marlins have the organizational starting pitching depth to contend. But they desperately need offense. Ideally it would come from a center fielder, particularly one who can defend in a spacious outfield and is not overly reliant on the home run. Nimmo is perfect for them. The question is whether they can elevate to a contender level. If ever there was a time under this regime, this is it.
Prediction for a player we haven’t mentioned yet
McDaniel: Zach Eflin, Giants, three years, $39 million. He seems like the best candidate to be the bounce-back starter the Giants dramatically improve. Jameson Taillon is the other leading candidate and gets about the same deal.
Doolittle: Willson Contreras, Cardinals, four years, $76 million. The Redbirds need an everyday backstop to step into the sizable empty shoes of Molina, and Contreras is easily the best on the market as a player who fits the bill on the field and in the clubhouse.
Schoenfield: Kodai Senga, Mariners, five years, $80 million. Starting pitching isn’t the Mariners’ biggest need, but Jerry Dipoto raved about Senga at the GM meetings and I think he dreams of a rotation that can go toe-to-toe with the Astros from one through five (or six). Then he can use Marco Gonzales or Chris Flexen in a trade for a second baseman or outfielder.
Rogers: Wade Miley, Dodgers, one year, $7 million. Miley has one key advantage: He won’t have to get used to the pitch clock. The man works fast. He could use a healthy season, which even he admits seems to be every other one for him. This is that “other” year. Miley’s cutter still gets its done when he’s on. Los Angeles is a perfect spot as he fits into any veteran locker room.
Lee: Kodai Senga, Red Sox, five years, $85 million. Boston has been a destination for many Japanese players, and the Red Sox will need to improve their rotation, especially if Nathan Eovaldi leaves in free agency.
Olney: AJ Pollock, Giants, two years, $20 million. The Giants love their platoons, and Pollock wrecks left-handed pitching (.935 OPS vs. lefties in 2022). Plus he knows the division so well.
Gonzalez: Cody Bellinger, Yankees, one year, $22 million. If Bellinger is only going to accept a one-year deal — and that’s the plan, his agent, Scott Boras, told The Athletic — then a nice bidding war is going to play out, and a team might have to kick in a lucrative 2024 player option as a sweetener. Bellinger needs to go to a team that possesses the resources to give him the best chance to recapture who he was. A short porch in right field helps, too.
Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.
BOULDER, Colo. — For the horde of NFL talent evaluators and some bleachers full of fans, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Friday that they all got to see the top two players available in this year’s NFL draft.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter were among the 16 Colorado players who took part in the school’s showcase event for scouts, coaches and personnel executives from every NFL team. And Deion Sanders said the two marquee players confirmed what he has known for a long time.
“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”
Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Hunter took part in most of the position drills or physical testing, but Sanders had a throwing session for just under an hour and Hunter was one of the wide receivers who participated. Neither player worked out at the scouting combine earlier this year, so it was the first time Sanders had thrown in such a setting since the end of the season. He showed some full seven-step drops and play-action from the shotgun and under center.
“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” said Sanders, who set the career FBS accuracy mark in his two years at Colorado (71.8%) to go with his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns last season. “I know I did the best in college football right now, for sure.”
Asked after the throwing session whether he believed he was the best quarterback in the draft, Sanders said: “I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback, and that’s what I know. But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”
Players Hunter, who did not speak to the media after the workout, and Sanders met with the Cleveland Browns contingent, including team co-owner Jimmy Haslam, on Thursday night in Boulder.
“They got me really full,” Sanders said. “I definitely needed to go to the sauna after that. … It was a good vibe.”
Said Deion Sanders said: “[I] spoke to the owner, truly delightful. He was engaging. … I think one of those guys is going to be there [at No. 2].”
Hunter, the No. 1 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board, did not do any defensive drills Friday, but he ran a full assortment of routes.
Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, Shedeur’s brother, offered plenty of encouragement, shouting commentary and clapping after each throw, including “not a lot of quarterbacks can make that throw” after one deep completion.
The highly attended event — by NFL representatives as well as fans packing small bleachers — had a festive atmosphere. Deion Sanders named it the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” complete with a large lighted “The Showcase” sign next to the drills.
Hunter, who has said he wants to play offense and defense in the NFL, won the Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Fred Biletnikoff (top receiver) awards in addition to the Heisman. He said whether he will primarily be a wide receiver or a cornerback in the NFL depends “on the team that picks me.”
On Friday, Deion Sanders said “ain’t nobody like Travis.”
Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver last season to go with 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 4 interceptions at cornerback. In the Buffaloes’ regular-season finale against Oklahoma State, he became the only FBS player in the past 25 years with three scrimmage touchdowns on offense and an interception in the same game, according to ESPN Research.
He played 1,380 total snaps in Colorado’s 12 regular-season games: 670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams. He played 1,007 total snaps in 2023.
Shilo Sanders, who hoped to show teams more speed than expected, ran a 4.52 40-yard dash after he measured in at 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds. He did not participate in the jumps or bench press that opened the workout, citing a right shoulder injury.
With all NFL eyes on the Colorado campus to see Shedeur Sanders throw, one player who made the most of it was wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard, who measured 6-2¼, 196 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.56 and 4.54 to go with a 40½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 broad jump.
Henderson has been sidelined with a right intercostal strain and missed the first seven games of the big league campaign.
The 23-year-old Henderson will lead off and play shortstop against the host Royals.
Henderson was injured during a spring training game Feb. 27. He was fourth in American League MVP voting last season when he batted .281 and racked up career bests of 37 homers and 92 RBIs.
Henderson completed a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He batted .263 (5-for-19) with two homers and four RBIs and played four games at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. He did commit three errors.
“I think everybody’s looking forward to having Gunnar back on the team,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. “The rehab went really, really well. I talked to him a couple days ago, he feels great swinging the bat. The timing came, especially the last few days. He just had to get out there and get some reps defensively and get some games in, and it all went well.”
Baltimore optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk to open up a roster spot. The 26-year-old was 0-for-4 with a run and RBI in two games this season.
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
When New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to assemble the best possible roster for the 2025 season this winter, the top priority was signing outfielder Juan Soto. Next was the need to replenish the starting rotation and bolster the bullpen. Then, days before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the lineup received one final significant reinforcement when first baseman Pete Alonso re-signed.
Acquiring a player with a singing career on the side didn’t make the cut.
“No, that is not on the list,” Stearns said with a smile.
Stearns’ decision not to re-sign Jose Iglesias, the infielder behind the mic for the viral 2024 Mets anthem “OMG,” was attributed to creating more roster flexibility. But it also hammered home a reality: The scrappy 2024 Mets, authors of a magical summer in Queens, are a thing of the past. The 2025 Mets, who will report to Citi Field for their home opener Friday, have much of the same core but also some prominent new faces — and the new, outsized expectations that come with falling two wins short of the World Series, then signing Soto to the richest contract in professional sports history.
But there’s a question surrounding this year’s team that you can’t put a price tag on: Can these Mets rekindle the magic — the vibes, the memes, the feel-good underdog story — that seemed to come out of nowhere to help carry them to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last season?
“Last year the culture was created,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s a matter of continuing it.”
For all the success Stearns has engineered — his small-market Milwaukee Brewers teams reached the postseason five times in eight seasons after he became the youngest general manager in history in 2015 — the 40-year-old Harvard grad, like the rest of his front office peers knows there’s no precise recipe for clubhouse chemistry. There is no culture projection system. No Vibes Above Replacement.
“Culture is very important,” Stearns said last weekend in the visiting dugout at Daikin Park before his club completed an opening-weekend series against the Houston Astros. “Culture is also very difficult to predict.”
Still, it seems the Mets’ 2024 season will be all but impossible to recreate.
There was Grimace, the purple McDonald’s blob who spontaneously became the franchise’s unofficial mascot after throwing out a first pitch in June. “OMG,” performed under Iglesias’ stage name, Candelita, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart, before a remix featuring Pitbull was released in October. Citi Field became a karaoke bar whenever Lindor stepped into the batter’s box with The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song. Alonso unveiled a lucky pumpkin in October. They were gimmicks that might have felt forced if they hadn’t felt so right.
“I don’t know if what we did last year could be replicated because it was such a chaos-filled group,” Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said. “I don’t know if that’s replicable because there’s just too many things going on. I don’t know if that’s a sustainable model. But I think the expectation of winning is really important. I think establishing what we did last year and coming into this year where people are like, ‘Oh, no, that’s what we’re expecting to do,’ makes it different. It’s always a different vibe whenever you feel like you’re the hunter versus being the hunted.”
For the first two months last season, the Mets were terrible hunters. Lindor was relentlessly booed at Citi Field during another slow start. The bullpen got crushed. The losses piled up. The Mets began the season 0-5 and sunk to rock bottom on May 29 when reliever Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the team to 22-33.
That night, the Mets held a players-only meeting. From there, perhaps coincidentally, everything changed. The Mets won the next day, and 67 of their final 107 games.
This year, to avoid an early malaise and to better incorporate new faces like Soto and Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, players made it a point to hold meetings during spring training to lay a strong foundation.
“At the end of the day, we know who we are and that’s the beauty of our club,” Alonso said. “Not just who we are talent-wise, but who each individual is as a man and a personality. For us, our major, major strength is our collective identity as a unit.”
Organizationally, the Mets are attempting a dual-track makeover: Becoming perennial World Series contenders while not taking themselves too seriously.
The commemorative purple Grimace seat installed at Citi Field in September — Section 302, Row 6, Seat 12 in right field — remains there as part of a two-year contract. Last week, the franchise announced it will feature a New York-city themed “Five Borough” race at every home game — with a different mascot competing to represent each borough. For a third straight season, USA Today readers voted Citi Field — home of the rainbow cookie egg roll, among many other innovative treats — as having the best ballpark food in baseball.
In the clubhouse, their identity is evolving.
“I’m very much in the camp that you can’t force things,” Mets starter Sean Manaea said. “I mean, you can, but you don’t really end up with good results. And if you wait for things to happen organically, then sometimes it can take too long. So, there’s like a nudging of sorts. It’s like, ‘Let’s kind of come up with something, but not force it.’ So there’s a fine balance there and you just got to wait and see what happens.”
Stearns believes it starts with what the Mets can control: bringing positive energy every day and fostering a family atmosphere. It’s hard to quantify, but vibes undoubtedly helped fuel the Mets’ 2024 success. It’ll be a tough act to follow.
“It’s fluid,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I like where guys are at as far as the team chemistry goes and things like that and the connections and the relationships. But it’ll continue to take some time. And winning helps, clearly.”