This Week in Mets Quotes: Nimmo hopes to return this season, Alonso feeling blessed

Your 2021 Mets: We got to bounce back quick.

“We’ve got to bounce back quick. We’ve got a game to play tomorrow. We’ve still got some games to play. We’ve just got to recover. We can’t hang our heads, and we can’t look back.” -Luis Rojas [MLB]

This quote was not from Spring Training but said this week.

“I think the sky’s the limit for this offense.” -Kevin Pillar [MLB]

Stroman on his diving tag on Juan Soto.

“I didn’t realize how cool it looked until I watched it afterward.” -Marcus Stroman [MLB]

Ouch...my heart.

“I’m hoping this is not the end. In my heart of hearts I do think I’m going to be back his season.” -Brandon Nimmo [Twitter]

Honestly, forgot which game this quote is from.

“I didn’t command my pitches the way I wanted to. I couldn’t command my slider low in the zone, and I paid [for it] right there. I got hit.” -Edwin Diaz [MLB]

Define ‘Good’.

“[Baez’] a very exciting player. He takes the extra bag, steals bases, hits homers. Just to have that kind of excitement out there, that type of player, really brings good energy for us.” -Taijuan Walker [MLB]

#blessed

“It’s truly a blessing to get to those numbers as quickly as I did. But also, there’s a lot of hard work that’s been put in basically throughout my entire life. I’m just really blessed to have this opportunity and be able to perform at an extremely high level.” -Pete Alonso [MLB]

Can’t argue with any of this. A joy.

“[Alonso] can change the game easily with one swing. He’s got the confidence right now. It was a big game for him. We’re all excited for the milestone he accomplished. He’s a great human being and a great baseball player. Those two set things up very well for a long career. He takes very good care of himself physically, and he loves this game. He’s got a good connection with the fans, his teammates, players around the league, he’s a good part of this game.”” -Luis Rojas [MLB]

Does Aaron Loup get ‘boo’ed’ by the fans?

“I get the ‘Loups — Loup.’” -Aaron Loup [New York Post]

Get out!

“I am hoping they intend to sign me back.” -Aaron Loup [New York Post]

Seth Lugo with love for his co-worker Loup...

“[Loup] is just filthy. When he goes in the game everybody knows that everyone is about to get out. I never really paid attention to him before. I saw him pitching a little bit last year in the postseason for the Rays a little bit, but I never realized how good he was until I watched him pitch this year.” -Seth Lugo [New York Post]

...Loup with love for all his co-workers.

“This is definitely one of, if not the best bullpen I have been a part of, from start to finish. It’s been different guys, just not myself, everybody is having good years down there. Everybody has pitched out of big situations at some point, and it’s never the same guy each night, which makes it fun. You kind of know as the game goes along, whose spot is going to pitch where at this point, but every night it’s someone different. I have gotten out of big jams, Fama [Jeurys Familia] has gotten out of big jams, Trevor May, Lugo, everybody. Then you add a guy like Brad Hand who has been a three-time All-Star and a closer, it seems like we can do no wrong at this point.” -Aaron Loup [New York Post]

Rojas is impressed with Alcantara...

“[Sandy Alcantara] was a sinkerballer earlier, and then he was a four-seam guy later. He got a bunch of strikeouts with that pitch. He’s a guy that has special stuff, one of the best pitchers in the game, I think. It was one of those nights where he was really, really tough.” -Luis Rojas [MLB]

...so is Conforto.

“[Alcantara] struck me out with three changeups the at-bat before. I kind of had a thought that he would try to go into the zone with it. I put a good swing on it. He had command, he had good stuff tonight. You’ve got to tip your cap when a guy goes 115 pitches and had everything working for him. Something that good pitchers do, they’ll hold back a pitch and see if they can get you out with their one and two, and then use his plus changeup both to lefties and righties. So he’s able to do that.” -Michael Conforto [MLB]

Really lives up to the ‘Crafty, Veteran Lefty’ sterotype.

“I think just overall execution of the fastball and command. I think that’s the biggest thing. Fastball command obviously helps first, and then the curveball feeds off the fastball. Just trying to change speeds, change directions of the curveball. It gives me more leeway to work the curveball when I want to, and also the fastball for that matter. Being able to accelerate, decelerate the fastball, really do the same with the breaking ball.” -Rich Hill [MLB]

(Not) Taking Care of Business.

“You do start standing watch. You do start seeing what other teams are doing, and that can be a dangerous situation if you’re worried about what other teams are doing, if you’re worried about what else is going around in the league instead of just taking care of your business.” -James McCann [MLB]

Lots of good insight from Brett Baty on Brett Baty.

“Me and my teammates joke all the time about not being so much of a five o’clock hitter, but rather being more of a seven o’clock hitter. Yeah, you can show it off in BP and everything, but nobody’s there to watch you do that. They’re there to see you perform in the game. When I’m trying to do too much is when I go bad — I’ll start pulling off balls — so I just try to stay up the middle and to left-center.” -Brett Baty [FanGraphs]