Jorge Polanco expects to play 'a good amount' at first base for Mets
Goodbye Pete Alonso. Hello Jorge Polanco.
Polanco, the 32-year-old switch-hitting infielder, met with the media Monday afternoon after officially inking a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets last Tuesday.
Plenty of noise has surrounded the possibility of Polanco, a career middle infielder who has played exactly one pitch of his 12-year MLB career at first base, replacing Alonso, the franchise’s all-time home run leader and now with the Orioles, as the Mets’ primary first baseman come Opening Day. Is that his expectation?
“Yeah, I would think so,” he said through an interpreter on Monday’s Zoom call. “I offered my services as a first baseman, second baseman, third baseman. But yeah, as the conversations went on, they told me that I’d be playing a good amount of first base, but that I could also be bouncing around.”
That is on track with what Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said of Polanco, primarily a designated hitter with the Mariners last season, in the statement announcing the signing.
“As we stand now, we would anticipate Jorge playing first base, DH and bouncing around to other positions as needed,” Stearns said.
Despite his limited experience at first base, Polanco said the conversations with the Mets about playing the position were “pretty easy.” He started learning first base last year in Seattle after what he described as a “mutual conversation.” Polanco already had spoken to his agent about working out at first to become more versatile when the Mariners approached him about it.
“Working with [Mariners infield coach] Perry Hill, working with [Mariners bench coach] Manny Acta, those were the two guys that I really worked with the most in my preparation,” Polanco said. “I didn't have a lot of experience, obviously, in-game, but I did a lot of early work and a lot of practice with them.
“And I think the thing that made me feel most comfortable in offering my services as a first baseman was just the confidence that Perry Hill had instilled in me and all the work that I had done with him to make me feel comfortable to play first.”
His one in-game experience came in San Francisco on April 6, when the Mariners lost 5-4. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth of a 4-4 game, Polanco entered at first base as part of the substitutions following rightfielder Victor Robles’ injury. One pitch later, Wilmer Flores hit a walk-off single through the right side, though it was past the second baseman and not in Polanco’s vicinity.
Polanco hopes his athleticism and infield experience — 473 career starts at shortstop, 410 at second and 25 at third — will make the transition smooth.
Stearns harped on run prevention as one of the Mets’ key downfalls in their collapse, and having a first-time first baseman could be risky. Things certainly could change with plenty of time in the offseason for the Mets, who could acquire other options via free agency or trade. Regardless, it will be a major change after Alonso started at first in 933 of the Mets’ 1,032 regular-season games over the last seven years.
At the plate, Polanco — a career .263 hitter and 2019 All-Star with the Twins — should provide a boost to the new-look Mets lineup. He posted a .265/.326/.495 slash line with 30 doubles, 26 homers and 78 RBIs in 138 games last season with Seattle, his second year after 10 with Minnesota. He had signature moments in the Mariners’ postseason run, including two solo homers off Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in Game 2 of the ALDS and a 15th-inning walk-off single in Game 5.
Polanco took note of the Mets’ care for players and their families, and he spoke to Starling Marte about playing for the organization. He mentioned how excited he is to play with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, two of “so many great players who want to win.”
He also was asked about two of the team’s cornerstones — Edwin Diaz and Alonso — leaving via free agency in the days before he signed.
“It did surprise me a bit, but once you get into free agency, the business does take over,” Polanco said. “And there's a lot as baseball players that we can't control, but at the same time, it was just one of those things that ended up happening. You just kind of have to give the control to God and see what happens.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
