MMO from Port St. Lucie: A World Baseball Classic Team Appears!

While spring training marches on, a new event is on the horizon: the World Baseball Classic!

Ahead of the marquee baseball event getting rolling later this week, countries are playing exhibition games to get ready for pool play. And in Port St. Lucie, the New York Mets hosted Nicaragua on Tuesday afternoon, a game which the Mets won 6-3. It was another very eventful day in Port St. Lucie, especially as the season inches ever so closer.

Carlos Mendoza and Mark Vientos Address the Media

Ahead of today’s game action, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that standout pitcher Nolan McLean had been dealing with “vertigo-like” symptoms and had not reported for the World Baseball Classic just yet. However, Mendoza said that Mclean is feeling better, and if all “goes as planned” in a start on the backfields on Wednesday, he should be all set to report to Team USA.

Additionally, Mendoza provided a variety of quotes on other topics surrounding the Mets. He said that Jorge Polanco is scheduled to see live game action at first base in two days, and Luis Robert will be playing center on the backfields tomorrow in the same game as McClean.

In some great news for the Mets, Mendoza said Francisco Lindor played catch yesterday. He also added that the star infielder will start to go through light defensive drills and may start swinging a bat in the next couple days.

Regarding the pitchers, Mendoza said he feels really good about them to this point and is happy they are all healthy. He added that more will start to get into games this week, such as David Peterson and Sean Manaea.

During his media availability, Mark Vientos said that playing for Nicaragua “feels real” ahead of the game against the Mets now that he’s in uniform. Vientos added that it is “weird” to face the Mets, but he was excited to compete against them today. (He went 1-for-3 with a single.)

Vientos called playing in the WBC a “dream” of his, mentioning how excited he is to play for his family and the kids back in Nicaragua. Additionally, Vientos said he grew up with his Team Nicaragua teammate, Jeter Downs, in Miami and has played baseball with him since he was 10.

Mark Vientos, during his press conference, said playing for Nicaragua “feels real” today. Said he is very excited to get on the field with his teammates. Vientos added that it is “weird” to face the Mets, but is excited to compete against them today. #Mets

— Brandyn Pokrass (@brandyn-pokrass.bsky.social) 2026-03-03T16:56:42.075Z

Jonah Tong Speaks after a Solid Outing

While not a perfect outing, pitcher Jonah Tong showed plenty of promise in his outing against Team Nicaragua.

In 2 2/3 innings pitched, Tong gave up five hits, allowed one earned run, did not walk a batter, and struck out three hitters. Despite not getting ahead of many batters, Tong located his fastball very well and showcased his new cutter throughout the outing. He also mixed in a slider, a change-up, and his curveball.

From an overall sense, I liked what Tong showed today. The slider was very good, the fastball was located well for the most part, and he worked in the cutter, changeup, and curveball. He needs to continue to find consistency, but this outing can, and likely will, be built upon.

— Brandyn Pokrass (@brandyn-pokrass.bsky.social) 2026-03-03T19:11:36.468Z

Tong said he felt “really good” about his cutter and that he “found” his change-up today. He also said that the “early development” of using his cutter involves determining what spots to throw it in.

“That is what the theme of spring has mostly been,” Tong said. “When it comes to competitive environments like this, it is just seeing what spots I can throw it in. I have a general goal going in of what it is supposed to be, but if I find some spots where my fastball is not in the zone right here, let’s pick a spot to use the cutter.”

Other Notes from the Day

• Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien continue to rake this spring. Both players took great at-bats and notched extra-base hits in today’s game.
• Luke Weaver was very effective in his outing, and I personally loved how he attacked the zone with his fastball today.
• Ronny Mauricio not only roped a single today, but also worked a walk from the right side of the plate. The more steps he takes this season, the better things will be for the Mets.
• Devin Williams and Jefry Jan were filthy today. The stuff looked great for both of them, as they both nitched three strikeouts in their outings.
• Chris Suero had another home run today, this time on a 110.3 MPH rope that went 421 feet. It’s his second game in a row with a homer.
• A.J. Ewing already has great discipline for a player of his age. He is yet another prospect I am very excited to follow along with in 2026.

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