PORT ST. LUCIE — Welcome to baseball season.
The reporting period for pitchers and catchers was a nice diversion from winter, but from manager Terry Collins’ perspective, the Mets’ season really starts Friday, with the initial full-squad workout of 2016.
“[Friday] is kind of a big day for everybody,” Collins said following a workout for pitchers and catchers Thursday at the team’s spring training complex.
Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson will be among those who address the team, and some individual players may speak during a morning meeting. Team owner Fred Wilpon also has been extremely visible in camp and might speak to the defending National League champions.
Alderson said any comments made by himself will be brief.
“I think we’ll probably just remind ourselves how we got here and just stay the course,” Alderson said. “It’s just a matter of staying true to the way we approached last year and not thinking too far ahead.”
The Mets won 90 games last season to end a nine-year NL East title drought before advancing to the World Series for the first time since 2000. With the entire heralded starting rotation back and Yoenis Cespedes on board for at least this season, the expectations for the club haven’t been this high since at least 1986, when the Mets last won the World Series.
“We don’t talk about that goal too much, I think because everybody already has their head wrapped around it,” Jacob deGrom said.
Collins plans to save material for an address to the team before Opening Day, but indicated his theme will be growth and reaching the next level as an organization.
“For me, it’s the biggest day a manager has,” Collins said. “He sets the tone of what to expect and what’s going on and how we’re going to look at things. You’re allowed to send your message, one time pretty much, and then follow through on it.
“So [Friday] is kind of a big day. You can show them, I always think spring training is about organization anyway, the players know you are prepared and you’re organized, and the players kind of fall in and do the same thing, so it’s a big day for us and this staff.”
Matt Harvey said much of the tone was set last week during a meeting for the pitchers and catchers, who are already seven days into workouts.
“Us starters, I think we know the only way things are going to get done is if you prove it and do it and then act on your actions,” Harvey said. “The same thing goes for the offense. We still have to put up runs. We still have to keep the other team off the board, and it’s a full team effort.”
Noah Syndergaard anticipates added buzz Friday, but said the fact so many players reported early to camp this year may dampen the “big day” feel of things.
“I feel like there will be a different kind of energy in the clubhouse, knowing it’s the first official day,” Syndergaard said. “But we’ve had position players in and out of here since we’ve been here, so I picture the energy being very similar to what it has been.”
DeGrom has been mingling with the likes of David Wright, Lucas Duda and Michael Conforto for weeks.
“I have pretty much seen everybody and I think everybody is excited to get going,” deGrom said. “Everybody has already been here, so it almost feels like it already did start, but it’s definitely exciting when the first workout as a team is going to go on, then you can put those bunt plays and stuff we’ve been doing into use and use them in different scenarios.”