Mets veteran raves about manager Carlos Mendoza

In his first season as the New York Mets skipper, Carlos Mendoza has done a terrific job, especially considering that this team is on the verge of a playoff berth. They head into their final series of the season tied for the second wild-card spot with a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves.

At their worst, this Mets team risked entering June eleven games under .500 for the first time in 23 years. Looking back at how far this team has come, fans have to realize that it was never going to be perfect out of the gate because it has never gone that way for a first time skipper. However, a major tool that Mendoza has kept in his back pocket has been his knowledge of New York baseball and his overwhelming amount of confidence in the talent he has in the locker room.

He displayed these traits countless times and it has had a trickle effect on the roster. The Mets never had this confidence in 2023 which is why they got worse as the year went on whereas this year they seem to only get better.

J.D. Martinez has seen a lot of managers in his career and likes what he has seen from Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza

If you don't believe me then believe in the words of J.D. Martinez. Martinez had a lot to say about Mendoza in a recent interview he had with Sportsnaut.com and he should know considering he has played for many great managers in the past. Two of them being Alex Cora of the Red Sox and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers.

"I think his secret sauce is he does a really good job of understanding guys. He’s got a good feel and understands things that no other managers see,” Martinez said. “He sees things that go under the radar, and he’s like, ‘No, no, you need to do this and do that.’ And I was like, wow, that’s a really good catch by him. He catches stuff that most managers would not even notice.”

Whether it is going to the correct guy out of the bullpen or playing a certain lineup, Mendoza has made the right decisions majority of the time. The Mets are going to need Mendoza to continue doing this A) if they want to make it to the postseason and B) if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. Overall, like most fans, I am not just excited to see what he can do in the future but also interested to see what he can do in a season where the Mets go all in.