Just Mets

In a report for the Daily News, Kristie Ackert says David Wright scolded Noah Syndergaard for not appearing on the bench during Tuesday’s intrasquad game.

According to Ackert, Wright came into the clubhouse and saw Syndergaard at a table eating lunch.

Asked about the incident, Syndergaard said it was, “miscommunication,” as he had not eaten lunch earlier in the day.

“If there is a young player that is here (in major-league camp) there is a reason, they have talent and potential,” Wright said according to Ackert. “I would encourage them to use this chance to take every opportunity to learn from it. If you are a young pitcher, you can learn from sitting in with meetings with Dan (Warthen) or watching a Zack Wheeler, who I know is young, but he has experience.”

Upon being informed of the incident, Terry Collins was pleased Wright said something to Syndergaard.

“We have preached it amongst the players; we are in this together,” Collins told Ackert. “If they felt someone was violating that trust it needs to be addressed and it sounds like it was addressed.”

Collins is hopeful this attitude spreads throughout the clubhouse, although he felt it was possible Syndergaard made an innocent mistake.

“He might not have known,” Collins explained. “Guys make mistakes, the good ones never make them again.”

Ackert says Wright behaved professionally, and did not embarrass Syndergaard.

I’ll get into this in a post later, but the message with the Mets is clear this season: it’s about winning. Whether that translates in the standings remains to be seen, but this clubhouse has transformed and matured since last year. It’s more focused than its been in years, the attitudes and culture are much more positive and goal-oriented as well, and that’s a very good thing. 

In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t anything more than a rookie mistake. It’s more about the message, and it’s awesome the captain of the club has a zero-tolerance policy for anything that could affect a winning culture.