Carlos Mendoza is about to face arguably his biggest challenge as a major league manager in the most critical juncture of the 2024 season.
His New York Mets' playoff destiny is on the line, as they will face the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves across five games in four days − three in Milwaukee beginning Friday, and a makeup doubleheader Monday in Atlanta.
Mendoza will have to maneuver those high-leverage games with his pitching staff, along with the return of star shortstop Francisco Lindor, to help the Mets punch their ticket to the playoffs.
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If there is one quality that Mendoza has proven he has in his first season as Mets manager, it is composure in the face of adversity.
"I think what Mendy has brought to the table here in the pressure of playoff environment is exactly the same thing Mendy has brought to the table the entire season," says David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, "which is incredible consistency for who he is, authenticity as a leader and as a person, and it's been a lot of fun to work with him."
It is a marvel that Mendoza and the Mets are in this position after the start they endured, stumbling to an 0-5 record and falling as many as 11 games under .500 in early June. The Mets' presumptive ace, Kodai Senga, has pitched in just one game this season. At one of the peaks of the Mets' success in late June, they were short-handed, operating without Edwin Diaz due to a 10-game suspension for sticky stuff.
But through it all, Mendoza has kept the same mantra: one pitch at a time, one game at a time, one series at a time.
Pressure was on Carlos Mendoza early in Mets season
Luis Severino knew the type of leader Mendoza was from the time they were both members of the Yankees.
As the Yankees' bench coach for three seasons between 2020 and 2023, Mendoza organized the organization's spring training and worked closely with manager Aaron Boone.
But now the pressure was on Mendoza to lead his new team this season. And the speed bumps came early on.
The winless start came with a one-game suspension for Mendoza for an incident where Yohan Ramirez threw behind Rhys Hoskins.
For Pete Alonso, in the face of those early struggles, it was Mendoza's consistency and continuity that showed right away.
"I think that’s the great thing – he just wanted to echo the belief that everyone else had," Alonso said. "For us, we believed each other as a group, as players, and then for him, he just wanted to double down and just be like, ‘Hey listen, I’ve got your guys’ back. I believe in you guys.’ Over the course of time, it’s been awesome."
When Mendoza took the Mets job, he spoke of the need to build relationships. Hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said the expectations were communicated early on, and despite a shaky start, those goals have gotten within reach.
And Mendoza appears to have earned the players' trust.
"For me, it seems like, he can make a mistake. He’s like, ‘I made a mistake,’" Severino said. "That’s part of being a manager of a team. Just seeing him trusting his decisions every time he makes it. It could be wrong or it could be a good one. He’s being the same guy every time."
Managing the Mets' lineup
During spring training, Mendoza said that optimally he would have a consistent top of the order to pencil in each game.
With the Mets sputtering through May, that quickly went out the window. Lindor was elevated into the leadoff spot on May 18, where he has stayed for the remainder of the season. But the rest of the team's core, including Brandon Nimmo and Alonso, have found themselves in a variety of different spots of the lineup as Mendoza has looked to spark the offense.
"It’s been really nice because for what has kind of happened this year, with the amount of creativity, I think he’s done a great job of understanding who the position players are and then getting the most of the guys," Alonso said. "He’s done a great job of having that unwavering belief and unwavering support, even when things weren’t going that well earlier in the season."
For Barnes, those tweaks came from a unified collaboration between himself, Mendoza and Eric Chavez. While giving the hitting coaches, "the freedom to do their thing," Mendoza often will sit and discuss matchups with Barnes and Chavez.
Barnes says Mendoza is a healthy hybrid of data-informed and making decisions on the human element of the game.
"He’s trying to win ball games, so whatever that looks like that night, he’s willing to do and he’s willing to make difficult decisions on that," Barnes said. "He’s been really good at communicating his thoughts and involving the players in that process."
On the pitching side, that has been seen in assessing the vitality of starters such as Severino and Sean Manaea late in starts, or having a quick hook in important games. Mendoza has held players accountable for rough performances, like Adrian Houser and Jake Diekman, while building up the confidence of young players like Mark Vientos and Christian Scott.
Carlos Mendoza: NL Manager of the Year candidate
As Mendoza embarks on the toughest part of the season for the Mets, he's approaching it the same way as he has all season long.
"If you’re prepared, the game will slow down for you," Mendoza said during the Mets' last homestand. "When you're not prepared, the game gets fast.
"I spent a lot of hours, a lot of time preparing for a game, talking to coaches, and then you make adjustments as the game unfolds. You got to use your instincts, what you’re seeing and then what the information is."
So far, it has worked in Mendoza's favor, helping to lead the Mets, who were projected to win 81 games entering the season, to 87 victories entering the final five games. In the process, he's inserted his name in the NL Manager of the Year conversation, alongside the Brewers' Pat Murphy and San Diego Padres' Mike Shildt.
To Alonso, it's been the "art of managing," watching Mendoza lead the Mets to the best record in baseball since June 1 after a rocky opening stretch.
Now, Mendoza has the Mets on the precipice of a special 2024 season.
"I think for me, he deserves to be at least in the conversation for Manager of the Year," Severino said. "He came to New York, not expecting to win, not expecting to be in this situation, not expecting to be in the playoff talk and right now, we are. I think that gets a lot of respect from me, I think from all the guys and the league too."
