It didn’t take lengthy for A.J. Minter to ingratiate himself to Mets followers.
Talking on a panel on the Amazin’ Day fan pageant at Citi Subject, the newly signed reliever acquired a cheer when he took a not-so-subtle dig at Yankees followers.
“These Mets fans, these are truly baseball fans,” Minter mentioned Saturday. “They get baseball, not like the other side of town.”
After all, for Minter to really earn the adoration of Mets followers, he must let his play do the speaking.
The Mets signed Minter this month to a two-year, $22 million contract with an opt-out after the 2025 season, hoping the battle-tested left-hander might help type a dominant bridge to nearer Edwin Diaz.
Minter, 31, boasts a 3.28 ERA, a 1.196 WHIP and a fee of 10.9 strikeouts per 9 innings over eight MLB seasons, all with the Atlanta Braves.
He was a key member of the Braves staff that gained the 2021 World Sequence, pitching to a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts over eight appearances as a part of a late-inning bullpen group often called the “Night Shift.”
“He’s a guy that brings a bunch of experience, especially being left-handed,” Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned. “A bunch of playoff experience. High-leverage guy. Can get lefties and righties out, so he’s huge for our bullpen.”
Geared up with a mid-90s fastball, in addition to a cutter and changeup that play off of it, Minter recorded a 2.62 ERA in 34.1 innings final 12 months earlier than present process season-ending left hip surgical procedure in August.
Minter mentioned Saturday that his hip feels “great” and that he hopes to be prepared for Opening Day.
“The biggest thing is just to be patient,” Minter instructed reporters of his rehab. “I feel really good, and the doctors say the biggest mistake is to rush it and want to overdo it. It was slow at the beginning. I was on crutches for eight weeks and just letting it heal, letting it rest, and now that I’m able to do normal activities, it’s definitely nice to be back.”
Ought to he return to type, Minter would fill a major void in a Mets bullpen that lacked a dependable left-hander final 12 months.
The one lefty relievers to pitch a minimum of 14 innings for the Mets final 12 months have been Danny Younger, who posted a 4.54 ERA, and Jake Diekman, who recorded a 5.63 ERA earlier than being launched in early August.
Minter has restricted left-handed hitters to a .221 common over his profession. Proper-handed batters haven’t fared significantly better, hitting .232 in opposition to him.
He’s trying ahead to teaming up with Diaz, who, coincidentally, was the primary batter Minter confronted as a rookie in 2017, again earlier than the designated hitter was instituted within the Nationwide League.
Diaz, who was the Seattle Mariners’ nearer on the time, struck out trying in that at-bat in Atlanta, giving Minter his first major-league Okay.
“It’s just getting to know each other and helping each other,” Minter mentioned of Diaz. “He’s had great success. He’s a dominant closer, and my job is to go in there and give him a clean inning every time. Looking forward to getting to be with him and learn from him.”
Minter owns a 2.87 ERA over 166.1 profession innings in opposition to the NL East. He’s been at his greatest in opposition to the division-winning Philadelphia Phillies, pitching to 2.30 ERA over 43 innings.
His first probability to pitch in opposition to the Braves will are available in Atlanta throughout a three-game sequence from June 17-19.
“Atlanta holds a close place in my heart and I’ll do anything for them, but at the same time, I’m here to beat them,” Minter mentioned. “It’s that friendly competition. But yes, it is going to be exciting to go back there.”
