Who fits in and who stands out on the 2025 Mets?
There are benefits to being an outsider when it comes to covering a sports team. Yet one thing that gets lost for us who don’t have access to the locker room are the interpersonal relationships. The other day, SNY showed several dugout shots that had Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker standing right next to one another, engaged in what appeared to be a friendly, engaged conversation. And it seemed odd at first but it certainly makes sense. Alonso grew up in Tampa, while Winker’s from Orlando. Alonso’s 30, while Winker is 31. They’re both hitters, with some success in the majors. There’s some common ground there.
So, let’s do some rampant speculation here. If you had to place the current 2025 Mets into “friend” groups, who would gravitate towards one another? If Steve Cohen threw a party, who would stand together? Does everyone have a sub-group on the Mets where they fit in?
From all of the time they spend together doing next to nothing away from the rest of the club, it’s easy to lump the relievers together into one group. Huascar Brazoban and Reed Garrett might not be immediately seen as part of the same friend group under ordinary circumstances but with similar roles and spending two-plus hours every day together away from the rest of the team, my guess is that they fit together better than, say, Garrett and Alonso.
Again, this is all pure speculation on my part.
Is it the same thing with the starting pitchers? You frequently see them together in the dugout, too. Let’s start off with the assumption that they’re a group, although maybe we’ll put them in with another group, if there’s a compelling reason to do so.
Group A: The 30-something whiteys – We already mentioned Alonso and Winker. Let’s add Jeff McNeil Brandon Nimmo and Tyrone Taylor to this group, too. The sheer amount of time that Alonso, McNeil and Nimmo have spent together on the club makes it natural to group them together. Maybe David Peterson is an honorary member of the club, given his time in the majors and being age 29. Perhaps we can include Francisco Lindor here, too. He’s been on the club for awhile and it seems to me that he and Nimmo have some kind of bond, even if things aren’t necessarily buddy-buddy with Lindor and McNeil.
Group B: The came up thru the minor leagues together guys—Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos. If memory serves, the mainstream media have talked about Baty and Vientos being friends. Since they all spent time together in the minors, it’s possible that Hayden Senger fits in here too, even if age-wise he fits better in Group A. The interesting question to me is wondering if Luisangel Acuna finds any support from this group. He spent at least some time with Baty and Vientos – at different times – at Syracuse. Blade Tidwell can be an honorary member, too.
Who does that leave? There’s Juan Soto and Luis Torrens. The catchers have their own bond and can also be included with the starting pitchers. So, where does Soto fit in? There was talk about Soto being close earlier with Starling Marte. Perhaps because of their superstar status, Lindor and Soto have a bond. Also, we saw Soto playing with the Group B guys in the dugout, trying to flip a bottle of water and have it land upright.
Is it possible that Soto’s slow start can be partially explained by not having a readily-apparent friend group on the team? Perhaps there’s a group of Dominicans that bond together? Seven of the 40 players on the current 40-man roster are Dominican born. But Mauricio, Frankie Montas and Dedniel Nunez all were elsewhere when the season started, Brazoban was in the pen and Jose Siri got hurt early – leaving just Marte.
Obviously, there’s a bond just by being teammates. It seems likely to me that if there were the relievers, the starters, the early-30s guys and the Baby Mets all being their own cliques that Lindor could move amongst the four and somehow fit in anywhere. And likely others could, too. But did Soto have that same gravitas? Especially coming in new and with the weight of that contract?
Ultimately, I don’t put a lot of weight on that theory, that Soto didn’t get off to a great start because of the lack of a friend group. But it’s at least something to consider. And perhaps the biggest takeaway is not Soto – just maybe all of us in general. It’s good to have a place to fit in.
“The 30-something whiteys”. Officially *deceased*.
Steve Cohen should sell—at a great discount—½ or even 1% of the Mets to Starling Marte, with the stipulation that he takes on a role in the dugout for many games each year.
I’m in constant wonder watching Starling Marte.
At the Home Run Derby, Pete Alonso was completely ignored by the dozens of players—most of them from Latin America—who were there to support their friends. He was left standing alone, isolated in a moment that should’ve felt electric.
Starling didn’t want to break Pete’s concentration, but he was there—100%—ready to be exactly what Pete needed, if or when Pete needed it. That kind of presence, that kind of quiet emotional intelligence, is rare.
On camera, Marte has been seen gently pulling Juan Soto in—arm practically draped over his shoulder—to ease the tension and bring him into the joy of a group photo. He wipes away that face of intensity and replaces it with something light, disarming, human.
Never do I see a player who doesn’t feel immediately comfortable around Marte. There’s trust, closeness, a shedding of ego, and a rare emotional safety. I mean never!
I show my wife moments like these constantly—because I see this quality as vital in baseball. And I can’t stop hoping there will be a place for him in the Mets organization after he retires.
Obviously, he likely doesn’t need a coach’s paycheck. He has serious commitments in the Dominican Republic during the off-season—time with his recent wife, his two young children, and the three older ones from his first marriage. His first wife, tragically, passed away in 2020. He also manages local business ventures and supports youth baseball back home.
Clearly, Starling was born with a rare mix of traits—and must have had an environment growing up, including siblings, that shaped who he is today. His gut-wrenching loss may have added a layer of spirituality, of perspective.
Maybe not everyone learns from his role modeling. But every single one of them will feel a human connection through him—one that makes life more enjoyable and emotionally safe.
And that, to me, is everything.