QUEENS, NY — Jesse Winker is no stranger to interacting with New York Mets fans or with his new teammates.
Just moments after arriving at Citi Field following his acquisition by the Mets from the Washington Nationals — he the first flight out of St. Louis to get to Queens before Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves — Winker stood at his new locker, containing his new No. 3 uniform, meeting with the New York media.
“It was shortly after my third at-bat [on Saturday night against the Cardinals],” Winker said, disclosing how he found out about getting traded. “Once I found out I was coming here I was extremely excited. Such a great team, they’re playing so well. I’ve been in the opposing dugout, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”
As he spoke, in walked slugger Pete Alonso, who emphatically pumped his fist at the sight of Winker in the clubhouse. Veteran designated hitter JD Martinez was not far behind, all smiles, waving like a Little Leaguer trying to hail down the ice cream truck.
Winker and Alonso played travel ball when they were 12 years old down in Florida. He also was teammates and competed against Francisco Lindor.
“I pretty much know a lot of these guys,” Winker joked. “It’s cool. It’s a great place.”
There might even be some familiar faces in the crowd at Citi Field waiting for Winker, too. During his days with the Cincinnati Reds, he had multiple run-ins with Mets fans while patrolling the outfield in Queens. He most notably waved goodbye to a group of fans heckling him after making a sliding catch for the final out of a 2019 game.
Later on, he traded a ball for a fan-made sign that read “Jesse Winker you’re a straight up b—h.” The ball read “Love the sign.”
“It was just fun,” Winker recalled. “I think my first couple of full seasons I was maybe a little on the immature side and I had some fun. This is a passionate fan base and I’m excited to play hard for them.”
The Mets officially announced the deal acquiring Winker Sunday morning, adding they dealt right-handed prospect Tyler Stuart to Washington in the deal.
The 30-year-old corner, batting .257 with a .793 OPS, 11 home runs, and 45 RBI brings a much-needed left-handed bat that can feast upon right-handed pitching. Winker has a 139 wRC+ against right-handers this season — a significant boost from the Mets’ previous leaders this season in Brandon Nimmo and Harrison Bader (123 wRC+).
Winker’s .374 on-base percentage this year also ranks fourth among all left-fielders in Major League Baseball this season, providing a significant upgrade compared to the struggling DJ Stewart. The left-handed reserve outfielder was batting .172 with a .624 OPS, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 151 at-bats this season.
“This is a big move. A lefty bat we’ve seen a lot… the at-bats, the way he controls the strike zone, the power, he’s going to help,” Mendoza said of Winker. “I wouldn’t say [he will be an] every day player but he’s going to play. I could see him playing corner outfield, DH, pinch hit… He’s going to get a lot of opportunities, especially against right-handed hitting. He’ll be in there a lot.”
The added depth comes as a primer to Major League Baseball’s 2024 trade deadline, which comes on July 31 where the Mets are expected to remain active. A red-hot June that meandered into July has New York competing for the top Wild Card spot in the National League with the Braves.
“It’s what you play for,” Winker said. “You want to be a part of a playoff race and winning baseball games. That’s what you’ve always wanted since you started playing this game… I’m just excited to play. I can’t say enough amazing things about this team and having to compete against them has been such a challenge every season so it’s cool to be in this clubhouse so I’m excited.”
