J.D. Martinez made a promise to himself.
Early in his MLB career, when he was struggling to catch on with the Houston Astros , Martinez would seek advice from veterans in the clubhouse.
"At that time, it was a little different. The veteran guys weren't very nice, you could say," Martinez recalled Wednesday at Citi Field.
"I remember seeing that and asking questions, and them never answering it and kind of blowing me off and just making my life a nightmare. I remember saying, 'You know what, if God ever blesses me where I'm in that position, I'm never gonna treat a young guy like that.'"
Fast forward to present day, and Martinez is embracing his new mentorship role with the Mets as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations.
It's a front-office position in which Martinez, who earned six All-Star selections in 14 MLB seasons, hopes to be a resource for the Mets' current players.
"I had quite a roller coaster throughout my career," Martinez said. "From getting released, to being a top prospect, to my rise, to then going and retiring, there's a lot of things that I've experienced where I feel like I can relate to a lot of those guys in the clubhouse."
Known for his exhaustive preparation, the righty-swinging Martinez earned a reputation as a hitting guru during his playing days from 2011-24.
He totaled 331 home runs with an .863 OPS during his career with the Astros, Detroit Tigers , Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers and Mets.
Martinez spent only one season with the Mets, batting .235 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI for the 2024 team that advanced to the NLCS.
Having Martinez back at Citi Field this week elicits memories of that season, manager Carlos Mendoza said.
"There's just a presence to it," Mendoza said. "Not only with J.D., but having [special assistant] Carlos [ Beltrán ] around, too. Those are great baseball minds, not only in the hitting department, but baseball in general. I love having those guys around."
Martinez, 38, said he had job offers from other teams, but he had stayed in touch with Mets' front office and likes what they've built in Queens.
He believes this year's Mets are even more talented than the 2024 team. His former teammates on the roster include Francisco Lindor , Mark Vientos , Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez.
Starting out, Martinez expects to attend one homestand each month.
"It is a transition," Martinez said. "It's hard being out here, watching these guys hit. Like, I want to pick up a bat and hit myself. You've got to turn the page a little bit."
The Mets plan to stick with a five-man starting staff for at least the next turn of the rotation, Mendoza said Wednesday.
That means Sean Manaea will remain in the bullpen for the time being.
Coming out of spring training, the Mets planned to re-evaluate whether to deploy a six-man staff after two turns.
In the past, the Mets have often found ways to get extra rest for Kodai Senga in order to replicate the schedule he pitched on in Japan. Senga hurled 5.2 innings of two-run ball Sunday on normal rest.
"I'm not saying we're not gonna do it anymore," Mendoza said of a six-man rotation. "It's just where we're at right now in this turn, where everybody is at, and how they're bouncing back."
St. John's point guard Dylan Darling threw the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday as the Mets honored the Red Storm for winning the Big East's regular-season and conference-tournament championships.
Darling delivered the game-winning lay-up as time expired in the Johnnies' second-round win over Kansas in the NCAA Tournament last month.
He threw from the mound Wednesday, and his pitch reached St. John's athletic director Ed Kull on a bounce.
"This is pretty cool, and I'm glad I'm getting to this," Darling said beforehand.
"I literally can't remember the last time I touched a baseball. Maybe [as] a toddler."
