Jorge Polanco is banking that his work last season at first base with the Mariners — albeit not in games — has served as a good foundation as he attempts to play the position regularly.
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On an introductory Zoom call Monday, the new Mets infielder said he was offering his services to teams this offseason as a first baseman, second baseman and third baseman.
"So when the Mets asked if I could play a little bit of first, play a little bit of third, I was definitely willing to do that right away," Polanco said through an interpreter.
Polanco, who arrived on a two-year contract worth $40 million only days after Pete Alonso 's departure through free agency, said he spent plenty of time last season learning the nuances of first base through his work with Mariners coaches Perry Hill and Manny Acta.
But Polanco, 32, only played one inning at the position in a season he produced a .265/.326/.495 slash line with 26 homers and 78 RBIs.
"I think the thing that made me the most comfortable in offering my services as the first baseman is just the confidence that Perry Hill had instilled in me and all the work that I had done with him to make me comfortable to play first base," Polanco said.
Polanco's bat has been the most significant one added by president of baseball operations David Stearns this winter. The team also acquired Marcus Semien in a trade with the Rangers for Brandon Nimmo before Alonso accepted the Orioles' $155 million offer over five years. The Mets also lost Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers on a three-year contract worth $69 million.
"It was definitely surprising that they both left, but at the same time it's also a business," Polanco said. "Edwin Díaz is one of the best closers in baseball. Pete Alonso is one of the best first basemen in baseball, so it did surprise me a bit. But once you get into free agency, the business does take over. And there's a lot as baseball players that we can't control, but at the same time it's just one of those things that ended up happening."
Jorge Polanco Diamond Images/Getty Images
Polanco struggled to a .651 OPS in 2024 as he struck out a whopping 29.3 percent of the time. Last season he sliced that number almost in half, striking out only 15.6 percent of the time, leading to his reemergence.
"It was both physically and from a mechanical standpoint that I was able to change," Polanco said. "I think everybody knew that I was dealing with a knee injury for the better part of 2024, but now I feel a lot better. I have a hitting coach that I have been working with and we kind of got back to where I was early in my career, where I wasn't striking out as much. I was putting the ball more in play, and I was really battling the at-bat. Once we were able to switch mechanics and also the health got a lot better, I was able to return to the player I was early in my career."
Polanco said the athleticism it takes to play the other infield positions will allow him to handle first base.
"The biggest difference is the position you get in to receive pickoffs or picks or just getting to the base, I think that was the toughest transition for me," Polanco said. "It's very different from when you are playing in the middle of the infield. But I think with my experience of playing second, short and third, it allows me to be an athlete and I think that my athleticism will help me while I am playing first base."
