Carlos Mendoza: Our first impressions as he's introduced as NY Mets manager

NEW YORK — After a long, grueling interview process that spanned coast-to-coast, Carlos Mendoza's youngest son, Andres, approached his weary father with a request: "Let's play catch."

As Mendoza was doing what he does best, looping ground balls to his son, the phone call came. Mendoza fulfilled his dream. He was going to be the next manager of the New York Mets.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mendoza was emotional as he thanked his family and a myriad of members of the baseball community for propelling him to the top leadership position for one of the two teams in New York.

"When (the Mets) started talking about culture, people, relationships, preparation, I felt a connection right away because that's who I am," Mendoza said. "I care a lot about people, relationships, respect and the ability to put a product (on the field) that's going to be able to compete for championships."

Throughout the process, which included interviews with the Guardians, Padres and Giants, the 43-year-old Mendoza was interviewing his prospective teams just as much as they were interviewing him. Ultimately, the culture that the Mets are beginning to establish, led by owners Steve and Alex Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns helped Mendoza feel like a fit for all parties involved.

"Carlos' upbeat, positive personality, his genuine care for people, his baseball knowledge, his experience in this city, his sincerity, all shone through throughout our process, throughout our time getting to know each other, and make him the right person for this job," Stearns said.

Analysis:No big splash for Mets, but here's what they're getting with new manager Carlos Mendoza

Ready for the New York challenge

Stearns acknowledged that there is a unique challenge associated with managing in New York for managers of all backgrounds. While Mendoza will be managing a Major League Baseball team for the first time in 2024, his experience in the Yankees system made him a strong candidate for the job across town.

Mendoza has spent the last 15 years in the Yankees organization, including the last four as the team's bench coach under Aaron Boone. He was the team's lower-level field coordinator in 2017 and infield coordinator between 2013-17.

Mendoza, who is the second Venezuelan-born manager in major league history, joining Ozzie Guillen, is excited to plant his roots down in New York and is well aware of the challenges that come with coaching in that major market.

"I came up with that organization as a coach in the minor leagues and then the big league level," Mendoza said. "Those were the expectations: winning the World Series or it's a failure. I understand what New York means and the expectations. I know it'll get heavy and the fans are gonna let you know when you're not playing well, but they're also going to cheer when you're playing well, and I'm looking forward to that."

In an environment as unique as New York, Stearns believes Mendoza is as well-schooled as any candidate in what it takes to have success in the face of immense pressure.

"He could articulate what he'd seen," Stearns said. "He could talk about experiences that he personally had had in this city, in the environment with the pressure, with the fans, with the media, that other candidates who haven't been here just haven't lived yet. They would adjust, but Carlos has that firsthand knowledge and so nothing's gonna surprise him."

First-time manager but one with experience

From the outside, there was some angst that Mendoza has not managed before taking the reins of the Mets this upcoming season. But Mendoza is well-schooled in the game of baseball and spent nearly 15 years coaching before landing his first managerial job.

During his playing days, which began in 1996 in the minor leagues with the Giants before moving to New York's system, Mendoza was grounded in fundamentals which provided him the knowledge to lead the Yankees' infield. Then, when he became a coach, he engrossed himself in the information and analytics side of the game.

Mendoza also has strong instincts.

"At the end of the day, it's a game and it's played by human beings," Mendoza said. "You've got to be able to judge, you got to be able to read the game. You've got to have feel for people. That's why for me, it's important to connect, get to know the players.

"When you're making the decisions and when you're looking at information, you better have a good feel for what you're dealing with out there and who's capable of handling certain situations."

Stearns believes that Mendoza, despite being in the manager's chair for the first time, will hold the Mets players to task.

"This is someone with tremendous people skills and people like, get along with, can relate to, but he also holds people to incredibly high standards," Stearns said. "He talks about accountability and he also kind of lives it. That is difficult to find. It's difficult to find people and leaders that people really like and enjoy working with but also someone who's going to expect a lot out of them and I think Carlos does that."

Collaborative effort to fill the coaching staff

As the Mets continue to fill their roster and coaching staff, Mendoza confirmed that Jeremy Hefner would be back as the team's pitching coach for the 2024 season.

As for the remainder of the team's coaching staff, Mendoza will likely work in tandem with Stearns to find the right fit of personalities.

"We're talking about building a culture, so looking for people that are going to bring energy, they're gonna earn the respect from players, they're going to be consistent, they're going to be prepared, and have leadership skills," Mendoza said. "They're going to be able to communicate, they're going to be able to have that tough conversation, they're going to be able to hold people accountable. That's what we're looking for."

With Mendoza leading a major-league clubhouse for the first time, experience will be important as the Mets fill out their leadership ranks.

"I think we will seek a staff in various positions that has a level of experience," Stearns said. "That doesn't necessarily mean that every coach is going to be a super experienced staff member, but I know that's something that is important to Carlos."