The union between the Mets and Sean Manaea in the 2024 season ended up an ideal symbiotic relationship.
Manaea needed an opportunity to prove himself. The Mets wanted to take a gamble on a pitcher with high upside to lead their rotation.
A two-year, $28 million deal with a player option for the 2025 season further drove that mission home. As Manaea ascended to the team’s ace by last season’s conclusion, with the Mets’ coaching staff, led by pitching coach Jeremy Hefner providing the support, the left-hander and the Mets witnessed the best possible result come to fruition.
That bond was affirmed in late December when the 32-year-old southpaw, who opted out of his previous deal and turned down the qualifying offer, inked a three-year, $75 million contract to set his roots down in Flushing.
“I think based off of last year with the coaching staff and everything that we had going on, I thought that it was a perfect fit,” Manaea said on Monday. “I know Talat, my wife now, she loved it on the family side, as well. And organizationally, I thought they did a lot of great things and learned a lot from Hef and the rest of the staff.
“Overall, I was just very, very happy with my time there and when they reached out and said that they wanted to reunite, I knew that was kind of the top priority.”
Sean Manaea’s transformational season
Before his first season in New York, Manaea had proven himself a consistently reliable rotation piece early in his career, but that belief began to waver during a rough season in San Diego in 2022 when he pitched to a 8-9 record with a 4.96 ERA in 158 innings and 30 appearances.
He pinballed between the rotation and the bullpen with the Giants one season later in 2023, making 10 starts and 27 relief appearances but seeing results late in the season when he stopped “overthinking” and pitched with more confidence.
Under the tutelage of Hefner in 2024, Manaea dialed in a new feeling on the mound as he lowered his arm slot midway through the campaign. The results followed as Manaea tossed a career high 181⅔ innings, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts. He also secured a pair of playoff victories in the Mets’ run to the NLCS.
“I think that wouldn’t happen if I didn’t have coaches being like, ‘Oh, this is good metrically. This is a good spot. You look smooth,’” Manaea said. “Having that feedback all the time and them breeding confidence in you is another snowball that just kind of gets bigger over time and, I think we saw it last year, it was just one thing after another, each day just kind of built off those little successes and before you know it, it was a great year.”
Manaea recognized Hefner’s role in helping his renaissance. That support and a willingness to experiment in one season made a reunion more attractive.
Now, before spring training, Manaea is working at Diesel Optimization and Driveline Baseball in Tampa, Florida, to try and make sure that production remains the same in 2025. A point of emphasis? Fine-tuning his changeup, which had a .250 opponent xBA in 2024.
“Just keeping that thing consistent,” Manaea said. “I know it can be great at times and then at times it’s kind of like good, so the more I can have it be great, the better off I’ll be.”
Rotation:Projecting the Mets’ starting rotation with Sean Manaea back leading the unit
Familiarity and a reunion with Pete Alonso?
Manaea has been working out with another familiar face in Tampa. He said that he has been sharing the gym with Pete Alonso.
The left-hander is hoping that the Mets can make Alonso’s return come to fruition. The first baseman remains a free agent after spending each of his first six seasons with the team.
“Very much so. Whatever happens with Pete, I’m always going to support him, but I would definitely love to have him back on the Mets and be our first baseman,” Manaea said. “Hopefully we can get that done and but whatever happens at the end of the day, I’m going to be happy for him either way.”
With or without Alonso, Manaea will have some familiar faces with him in the Mets clubhouse, in addition to the ones on the 2024 squad. Manaea was a part of the Padres team that landed Juan Soto at the trade deadline in 2022.
“When he first came over, you could just feel his energy and like what he brings to the table and carried that throughout the rest of the season and postseason,” Manaea said. “We have some history, and I’m just super happy that he’s on my team and I don’t face him anymore.”
Additionally, Manaea spent five seasons alongside Frankie Montas in the Athletics’ starting rotation. They each pitched for the A’s in their last postseason appearance in 2020.
“He is a funny guy and he’s definitely very passionate about pitching and competitiveness, just goes out there and is a dog,” Manaea said. “So I’m looking forward to that. And, I mean, his stuff is incredible too.”
Despite an overhauled Mets rotation, which also adds Clay Holmes, Manaea is hoping that they can forge the same type of continuity in 2025 as they did one season ago.
“That’s something I always want to do every year is just make every single start and have a couple teammates do the same thing,” Manaea said. “It’s an incredible feeling, as far as personal goals and team goals, when that’s happening and you’re giving the team quality innings, you’re setting the team up for success.”
