Mets get first taste of ABS life as Carlos Mendoza urges ‘aggressive’…
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets used umpires during live batting apply Thursday at Clover Park and with it got here their first experience with MLB’s new automated ball-strike system.
Francisco Álvarez already had success with it, getting a ball name from Jonah Tong overturned.
Tong later misplaced his personal challenge later in his outing.
Expect lots more challenges from the Mets this spring, according to Carlos Mendoza.
Asked how the team would strategy the new rule this spring, the supervisor said, “Be aggressive. Challenge as much as possible. We want to see who’s good and who’s not [at challenging].”
Their success fee during the spring will impression how the Mets take care of the ABS during the common season.
Jonah Tong throws a pitch during a live batting apply for the Mets on Feb. 19, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
“We need guys to be aggressive … before we start placing in tips and give you a game plan,’’ Mendoza said.
Francisco Lindor said he understands Steve Cohen’s choice to not have a captain, telling MLB.com Thursday, “I respect it.”
Cohen said Monday that as lengthy as he owns the Mets, there will likely be no participant with that title.
“There will never be a captain,’’ Cohen said.
Lindor said Thursday he understood the transfer.
“This is definitely a Steve, front-office type decision,’’ Lindor told the site. “I respect it. At the end of the day … being named captain or not, I’m still going to act the same. This is not something that’s going to make me somebody different. So I respect it. I’m glad he put everything to bed, so that way we can stop talking about this. And move on.”
Over the years, Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso had been thought of to be choices to be the franchise’s first captain since David Wright.
When Nimmo and Alonso left the Mets this past offseason, there was thought Lindor would possibly land the function.
Instead, the shortstop, sidelined following a process to deal with a stress response to the hamate bone in his left hand, received’t be Wright’s successor.
“I’m going to focus on baseball,’’ Lindor said. “I feel like we’ve got leaders [without] captains and all that stuff. The clubhouse is the clubhouse. Let’s just play baseball and let’s focus on winning.”
Michael Tauchman can have an opportunity to earn playing time in proper subject after signing a minor league deal earlier this week.
Mendoza said the lefty-swinging Tauchman, who spent last season with the White Sox, is “gonna be part of that competition we have in right.”
With Juan Soto now in left, Carson Benge could have an opportunity to make the team out of spring training, while Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty will also be vying for playing time.
As for Benge, who has just 24 games at the Triple-A level, Mendoza has been impressed by “his ability to control the strike zone.”
“One thing I’ve seen here the last few days during live at-bats is his ability to foul off tough pitches, especially when he gets behind in counts,’’ Mendoza said. “For me, that’s a really good sign. He’s able to stay in the fight.”
Stay up to date with the latest action and trending tales from the world of sports activities! C-lebrity.com brings you the freshest sports activities news, highlights, and skilled insights — all rigorously curated to maintain you informed and engaged. From major league updates to inspiring athlete tales, we cowl it multi function place.
Visit C-lebrity.com daily for complete coverage of the games, tournaments, and sporting moments that matter most — your final source for every thing sports activities and leisure.