New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Sean Manaea Improving Mets Chemistry in Unique Way

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Feb 22, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The biggest and most important job for any baseball player is performing on the field. New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea didn't manage to do that as much as he would have liked during the 2025 season.

Manaea was a huge reason why the Mets advanced to the NLCS in 2024 before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had the best season of his big league career that year, posting a 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings pitched during the 2024 regular season, and then had several great outings in the postseason.

The 34-year-old then suffered a right oblique strain during spring training in 2025, didn't make his season debut until the middle of July, and then was a shell of himself for the rest of the season. Manaea finished 2025 with a 2-4 record and a 5.64 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched. His pitching better down the stretch might have been how the Mets would have advanced to the postseason, but that ended up not being the case.

Manaea is looking to bounce back in a big way in 2026, and the Mets could certainly use a resurgent campaign from him.

While on-field performance is most important, a baseball player can also make their impact felt in the locker room. And this is something Sean Manaea is doing uniquely during this spring training.

Sean Manaea's Chess Hobby Is Helping Mets Build Clubhouse Camaraderie

A February 21 article from Newsday's Laura Albanese profiled Manaea's habit of playing chess in the Mets' clubhouse. He has been playing and helping teach several young players, including Carson Benge, Ryan Clifford, Jonah Tong, Jacob Reimer, and Jack Wenninger. Christian Scott also appears intrigued by the group and is keen to take Manaea on at some point soon.

Steven Kwan took down Sean Manaea in a little pregame chess. ♟️

(Via: @Cut4)pic.twitter.com/FKgodKX0Td
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 22, 2024

The article conveys how a bond is being built between Manaea and these younger players (particularly Jonah Tong) through this lighthearted clubhouse competition. And this is exactly the sort of relatively unsung but invaluable activity that can bring players closer to each other throughout the course of a season, which is what great locker room chemistry is all about.

This article shows that even if Manaea can't reclaim his 2024 form during the 2026 season, he's still making his presence felt by being a teacher and a mentor in the clubhouse.

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