Laura Albanese: Whether it's rock-paper-scissors, Olympic Hockey or HORSE, Mets are coming together
New York Mets’ players Juan Soto (left) and Freddy Peralta share a laugh at spring training on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — You saw it when Juan Soto challenged Nolan McLean to rock-paper-scissors during live batting practice Friday.
It was there when Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Jorge Polanco played HORSE during infield drills.
There are other examples, too: the troupe of young prospects who follow Sean Manaea as he teaches them how to play chess, or the quiet, easy conversations Francisco Lindor has with Marcus Semien as they walk the grass at Clover Park.
On Sunday, when a chunk of the team was in Tampa playing the Yankees, it manifested in a good-natured rivalry. Jonah Tong’s Canadian men’s hockey team was playing Christian Scott’s Team USA for Olympic gold, and when the red, white and blue pulled out the win in an overtime thriller, Scott posted the clip on his Instagram account and didn’t forget to tag his aggressively Canadian teammate.
When they finally made it into the clubhouse after workouts, Scott pseudo-consoled Tong, noting that “silver shines just as bright.” Scott was calling back to when Team Canada posted that quote on its X account after the USA women's hockey team defeated Canada for the gold on Thursday.
“I feel like there’s a different energy this year than last year,” owner Steve Cohen said shortly after the Mets began spring training. “I don’t know what it is. It just feels really optimistic.”
There’s little use in reading too much into the first few weeks of spring training, but it’s also hard to dispute Cohen’s sentiment. There’s a sense of novelty surrounding these Mets — almost as if they, too, are curious to see how exactly this will work out.
President of baseball operations David Stearns, often asked about the Mets' magical 2024 run, has said “chemistry” is hard to manufacture and often unpredictable. After all, the 2025 team, full of many of the same players as the previous year, felt downright stale at times. But even two weeks in, you have to credit Stearns for creating a palpable balance without sacrificing talent.
Here are two observations from the first two weeks:
Soto is situated and appears to be leading in his own way
After the hectic offseason that preceded his first year with the Mets, the $765 million man no longer is a nomad, and his wry personality is shining through. Though never the loud type, he historically has approached baseball with a unique mixture of focus and playfulness (when he was with the Yankees, manager Aaron Boone repeatedly noted how much fun he had playing the game).
You saw it with McLean, or the way Soto desperately tried to hide his smile when Tong fist-pumped after striking him out. When they’re not messing around with the automatic ball-strike system, batting practice strike zones sometimes can be . . . creative, and Soto has no problem looking over at fake umpire (and catching coach) J.P. Arencibia with an exaggerated eyebrow raise and a head tilt.
On Sunday, he engaged in lively conversations with the various Latin players situated toward the back of the clubhouse; he’s routinely in front of his own locker, even when there are other places for players to spend their down time. It speaks to his comfort level and, as he enters his age 27 season, is a step toward a greater leadership role.
Not everyone has to be the same, and that can be a good thing
When asked, Lindor denied any rifts on last year’s team and sagely noted, “Are we all best friends? That’s not how it works . . .
“But we’re good teammates. . . . We want the best for each other.”
And maybe acknowledging that reality is important. The Mets aren't trying to recreate the past, and in that, they have the freedom to create something entirely new. For now, there seems to be a good vibe going on.
Lindor, Semien and Bo Bichette are focused, soft-spoken and very driven. Manaea and Tong have a strong, playful relationship, along with adjoining lockers, and the veteran is approachable and available to his younger cohorts. Polanco works to conduct his interviews in English, though it isn’t his primary language (far from a necessity but still a kind gesture) and melds well with the likes of Vientos and Baty. Freddy Peralta is a friendly bundle of energy who attracts people into his orbit.
It doesn’t hurt that many of these players have ties to each other. Bichette and Semien have a strong relationship dating to their year together with the Blue Jays in 2021. Peralta, Devin Williams and Tobias Myers were teammates on the Brewers. While acclimating to a new team may not be easy, familiar faces certainly make it easier.
"Familiar faces is always a good thing," said Williams, who also played with Luke Weaver on the Yankees. "Besides those guys, there are a lot of others that I have a relationship with from the past. It's rekindling old friendships."
Does all this mean the Mets have figured it out?
Of course not. We’re only in the last week of February. But hey, it’s a good start, and that’s what spring training is all about.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
