Rosario feels ready to reach Citi of dreams
DENVER — Jose Reyes has warned him. The Mets top prospect has been a quick student. Amed Rosario has followed along with his mentor these first three days of his major league career, listening and learning. He has made a fairly easy transition to the big leagues.
“But until you make that first start in New York, you don’t really know what it’s like,” Reyes said. “That’s a big moment, when the New York fans get to see you. That’s when you really feel it.”
Amed Rosario is scheduled to make his much-anticipated debut in front of the home fans on Friday. It will be a big moment for Rosario and his family, but also one that has been anticipated for months by the Mets organization that signed him out of his native Dominican Republic and groomed him.
So the Mets manager decided to have a little fun with it when trying to work out a schedule for the rookie shortstop, who GM Sandy Alderson said would not play every day.
“I teased the coaches today and said I’d give him tomorrow night off,” Mets manager Terry Collins said before laughing. “But as of right this moment, yes, he’s scheduled to play.”
The Mets were cautious with Rosario this season, holding off calling him up too soon or in situations where he could be seen as a “savior” to the season.
He is not, but he — and the eventual call-up of first base prospect Dominic Smith — will make the last two months of a disappointing 2017 season interesting at the very least.
Beyond the fact that the Mets and their fans get a chance to see what they can expect from Rosario, it gives the 21-year-old an opportunity to get comfortable not just in the big leagues, but in New York too.
“I would say it’s huge for me to take those first few steps on that field because it starts a whole new chapter in my life,” Rosario said of playing at Citi Field. “It’s me starting to reach those dreams I have been wanting for.”
And it will be somewhat emotional for Rosario. It will be the first time his family gets to see him play in the big leagues in person.
“I am very excited to play at home tomorrow just because my family is going to be there and that’s a dream,” Rosario said. “My dad and my sisters will be there.”
Rosario has had a good series to get his feet wet and get ready for this weekend’s games against the red-hot Dodgers.
In his first three games, Rosario said he has already gotten rid of any jitters as he collected some big ‘firsts.’ He had his first hit, first double play and firstwalk off loss in his debut Tuesday night. Wednesday, he collected his first RBI and extra-base hit. Thursday, he extended his hitting streak to three games with a triple and a run scored in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field.
The Mets like to give top prospects a chance to make their major league debut on the road.
“Yeah. I’ve truly believed in it, especially starting pitchers have to pitch on the road first. Let them get used to what it’s like the atmosphere around here,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “It’s a little easier to then go home.”
But as Collins and Reyes know, there will be nothing that can really prepare Rosario for Friday night. The 21-year-old will first have to deal with an onslaught of media.
“There’s 15 of you here,” Collins said of the reporters in Colorado this week, “there will be 150 of you there tomorrow.”
A slight exaggeration, sure, but the Mets will make sure the local television stations and reporters get some time with Rosario before he even steps out on the field for the first time.
Rosario thinks he has already had a taste of playing in New York after starting spring training in the big league camp.
“I think I have a decent idea of what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Rosario said, adding that he is not at all anxious or nervous about it.
Reyes laughed and said that while Rosario will be fine, Friday will be a memorable milestone for him and the Mets.
“This will be another thing he will remember the rest of his life, it will be important and fun,” Reyes said. “But he has no idea what it will be like. No idea.”