Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat. This offseason, longtime Braves reliever A.J. Minter switched allegiances, joining the Mets on a two-year, $22 million contract. When he signed, Minter was coming off August surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. But he made it back in time for Opening Day and has quickly become an integral part of the bullpen as Edwin Díaz’s primary left-handed setup man. I caught up with Minter to discuss his change of teams and start to the season. MLB.com: What was it like going through free agency for the first time in your career? Minter: It actually wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was going to be. It was pretty slow, just because relievers, we tend to go later in the offseason. So I didn’t really get my hopes up before Christmas. I was actually planning a proposal -- I proposed on New Year’s -- so I had my mind occupied during that whole offseason. After I proposed, then it was like, all right, it’s time to sign a contract. So those first two weeks were pretty stressful. I was waiting for Tanner Scott to go off the board first. I don’t want to say he was holding everybody up, but he was the main priority in the offseason. I got a good offer from the Mets and was like, I don’t think there’s any reason to sit on it and wait for Tanner to go. I was happy with New York and happy with my offer, so I decided to pull the trigger. MLB.com: And how was the proposal? Minter: It went great. It was at a garden area in Dallas. I hired an event planner and proposed around 4 o’clock. I got us a nice hotel downtown, went back there and changed and had a whole surprise New Year’s proposal party with friends and family that night. … We’re getting married in December, in Dallas. We’re both from Tyler, Texas, which is an hour and a half from Dallas, so we’ll probably end up moving back there one of these days. |
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MLB.com: How is your hip feeling at this point? Minter: As far as physically, I feel really, really powerful and explosive. All my numbers in the weight room have been really impressive for my standards. I’m still waiting for it to translate out on the mound, [which] I think is more just breaking bad habits that developed over the last year. All I’m missing is just a simple mechanical adjustment that I can’t figure out quite yet. It’s just getting used to having a healthy hip again, but I’m happy with the way the ball’s coming out. I still think there’s more left in the tank. MLB.com: You’ve been throwing more cutters than in the past. Is that by design? Minter: It’s just going off what the hitters are telling me. My cutter’s really good right now. I do have to be careful, because I do tend to get cutter-happy and not trust my fastball. Even though my velocity is still down from what it could be, doesn’t mean I need to be scared throwing my fastball. I still have a really good fastball. My vert is up from usual, so that should tell me my 94 is still playing like 95, 96. But the cutter has been really good, so it’s kind of hard to get away from it right now with the way it’s been working. |
MLB.com: What has it been like going to an archrival in the NL East? Minter: It’s like changing schools when you’re a kid. I had to change schools. It’s that feeling of, I’m leaving all my friends, and I’ve got to make new friends. It’s a scary adjustment. But as a professional, as an athlete, change is good sometimes. That’s the way you can grow as an athlete. I’ve learned so much here that I think is just going to make me that much better as a pitcher as far as hip stuff, taking care of my body, mechanics. It’s all been really good. My priority is to win another World Series. I think this is my best chance. MLB.com: Why do you feel that way? Minter: The best team doesn’t always win. You have to have something [extra]. You can’t explain it, but when you watch teams that do win the World Series, they always have something they just gravitate to. The Rangers, it was the guys playing cards and it was the Creed song. Or something like “OMG” last year here. It’s just something that feeds teams, that brings them together to strive for a bigger goal, and the city’s behind it. This is a different team, but we’re still building and still creating the culture.
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who had the most career wins for the Mets and Twins combined? A) Rick Aguilera B) Jerry Koosman C) Johan Santana D) Frank Viola |
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The Mets will not be home for MLB’s league-wide celebration of Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, but they will celebrate two days later with their second annual Black Legacy Game against the Cardinals at Citi Field. The event will celebrate the history of former Black Mets players and pay tribute to significant historical figures. Among the day’s highlights: - Kwame Onwuachi -- the owner and chef of Tatiana, a restaurant that now has a presence at Citi Field -- will throw out a ceremonial first pitch to Mets Hall of Famer Darryl Strawberry.
- Valerie Boyd will sing the national anthem, while Sharifa Lubin, Juanita Guinyard and Lenny VanCooten will perform a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
- The Jackie Robinson Museum will host in-game activities for fans, including a scavenger hunt.
Tickets for the Black Legacy Game are available here. |
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B) Jerry Koosman Koosman, who has his No. 36 retired at Citi Field, won 179 games for the Mets and Twins. That’s 29 more than Viola and 40 more than Santana. |
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