‘Expectations at the Yankees and Mets are the same, you need to win’ – Carlos Mendoza targeting World Series after New York switch

Carlos Mendoza insists the expectations at the New York Yankees and New York Mets are exactly the same - to lift the World Series title.

The 44-year-old Venezuelan is starting his first season as a major league manager after trading the Yankees for the Mets in the off-season.

Mendoza had a long association with the Yankees, being a coach for the last five years but part of the organisation from 2009 until his switch at the end of 2023.

He left the historic Bronx-based ball club to take charge at crosstown rivals the Mets in Queens - his first job as a major league manager - so if any man knows the differences and similarities between the two NYC franchises, it’s Mendoza.

And he insists the goals from the owners and fans are exactly the same at both clubs, despite the disparity of their achievements in the sport.

The Yankees are the poster boys of Major League Baseball, the most successful team in the sport's modern history with 27 World Series wins [the next ‘winningest’ team are St Louis Cardinals with 11] and their logo is a recognised brand throughout the world.

Meanwhile, the Mets have won the World Series just twice, and last lifted the MLB Commissioner's Trophy 38 years ago in 1986.

Put in football [that’s soccer to our friends across the pond] terms, the Yankees are the Manchester United of the baseball world. The Mets, meanwhile, are more like Newcastle. New owners, new financial power, new lofty goals.

Recently, though, there hasn’t been a huge amount between them, and Mendoza insists there’s also little difference between the two clubs’ ambitions as they enter this new season.

“I mean, it’s New York and the expectations are always high - you need to win,” the Mets manager told talkSPORT from the team’s Spring Training base in Florida.

“I don’t know if that’s any different. You’re playing for a big market team and when the fanbase is so passionate, they’re great and they’re going to cheer for you, but when you’re not playing well they’re going to let you know, and that’s part of it.

“There’s always pressure, going from one team to another and them being rivals - at the end of the day it’s the big leagues, you know?

“Everybody is chasing the same goal and that’s what we’re trying to do here. We’re here to win a championship, so the expectations are always high. I’m just ready for that challenge.

“I see a lot of the same [between Yankees and Mets] - the fans care about their team, they want to win and we’ll embrace those expectations. And as much as I know those guys [in the Yankees set-up], I want to beat them. At the end of the day you’re playing a baseball game and you’re trying to beat them.

“But I’m excited about our team and we’re getting ready to get going. I want to be holding that trophy! That’s what we’re here for, that’s what we’re getting ready for, that’s what we’re going to fight for.

“We know we’ve got a long way to go and we take it day-by-day, but everybody is chasing the same goal, and my goal is to win a championship.”

It’s been a rollercoaster few years for the Mets franchise. The 2022 season saw the team end with 101 wins from 162 games - reaching 100-plus wins in a regular season for only the fourth time in Mets history. Veteran manager Buck Showalter was named Manager of the Year, but they still only finished second in their division, and were then knocked out at the first stage of the post-season. 

Hopes were high for the following year, but it was one to forget as they finished fourth out of five teams in National League East. Showalter was fired and general manager Billy Eppler resigned.

“Yeah, look, it’s not a secret that it was a tough season for this team last year,” said Mendoza, who was announced as Showalter’s replacement in November. 

“They went through a lot, whether it was injuries and other things, but it’s a fresh start, we have a really good team, we know the expectations are always high here. 

“I don’t buy the fact the outside projections have the Mets on the lower end - I don’t buy that. I know we’re good, the players know we’re good and we’ve got business we need to take care of.”

In a season of firsts for Mendoza, he will also become the first coach to take part in the MLB World Tour: London Series twice later in 2024 when the Mets take on rivals the Philadelphia Phillies at West Ham’s London Stadium.

He was part of the Yankees side that swept the Boston Red Sox in the inaugural London games in 2019, and admits he and his players are already looking forward to making the trip to the famous city.

“It’s gonna be great, I’m excited,” he told talkSPORT. “It’ll be my second time because in 2019 when the Yankees played Boston I was part of the Yankees team and it was a great experience. We loved it, we enjoyed it. 

“Just everything, from the moment we got there to the moment we left, it was a pretty cool experience. The atmosphere and the ballpark, seeing so many people in the stands, it was great and I’m really looking forward to this second trip to London.

“The players are very, very excited. We’re looking forward to opening day and for a really good season for us, but definitely the London Series has been a topic here in Spring Training and we are all really looking forward to it.

“It’s a big rivalry too, you know? Not only are they big league games but they’re division rivals and the Phillies have got a really good team. 

“Rob Thomson [the Phillies coach] was one of my mentors. I learned a lot from him when we worked together for the Yankees and now he’s got the opportunity to manage with the Phillies and he’s done a helluva job, and now I’m getting the opportunity to be able to compete against him and it’ll be fun. 

“I have a lot of respect for Thoms, I consider him a friend and a mentor, but once you cross the line I’m trying to beat him. It’s going to be big, they’re big games and it’ll be a good show.”

New York Mets will play Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB World Tour: London Series 2024, June 8-9 at London Stadium. Tickets on sale now at