Mets' baserunning motto matches philosophy: 'Let's boogie'
The Mets' Jose Azocar wears a T-shirt with the motto "Let's Boogie!" in the Mets' clubhouse on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Credit: Newsday / Tim Healey
The Mets’ baserunning philosophy, as espoused by coach Antoan Richardson, has been boiled down to an accidental motto: “Let’s boogie.”
In recent weeks, some Mets players and coaches have worn T-shirts with that wording — plus an exclamation point, of course — across the chest, the result of subconscious word choice, an inside joke and all-around buy-in on the concept.
“This is how it started: In spring training, I was giving a presentation on baserunning,” said Richardson, the first-base coach, who is in his second season overseeing that part of the Mets’ strategy. “And I didn’t realize I said the phrase ‘let’s boogie.’ ”
Richardson thought nothing of it, even in the days after, when multiple people each workout, he said, approached him and — mimicking his Bahamian accent — suggested they do a little dancing. Eventually, he caught on, then asked clubhouse manager Kevin Kierst to get the shirts made.
“And so that’s how it kind of evolved into ‘let’s boogie,’ ” Richardson said. “It’s just a reminder. It’s a reminder to the guys: Let’s play loose, let’s have fun, let’s have a good time and let’s execute.
“Without giving you the inner secrets to it all, it’s basically a phrase just to help everybody relax and have a good time and execute on offense and defense.”
The Mets have been boogeying around the bases just fine on their way to a 27-15 record, tied for second in the majors entering play Tuesday.
They don’t steal a ton of bases — their 31 steals ranked 17th in baseball — but being an effective baserunner is about more than just being fast. Other facets include going from first to third on a single or first to home on a double, feats aided by hustle, clean cuts around the bases and effective slides.
FanGraphs’ all-encompassing baserunning metric, BsR, ranks the Mets at 3.3 runs above average. That is second in baseball behind the Brewers, a club with a bunch of burners.
Luisangel Acuna leads the Mets with 10 steals. Francisco Lindor is next with six. Tyrone Taylor (four) is the only other player with more than three.
“Our guys take a lot of pride in what they do on the bases,” Richardson said. “We haven’t necessarily stolen a lot of bases, but I think they’re taking pride in being good at the things, the little details we think can help add value and win some games.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza, owner of a “Let’s boogie” shirt, said: “I like how aggressive we’ve been at times. I like the secondary [leads]. I like how we’re running the bases as a whole — putting pressure on defenses, running hard 90s, taking the extra base. Yeah, we’re going to make mistakes at times, but because we’re going to be aggressive, then we learn from those mistakes. Our homework, our preparation has been legit. So I’m pretty pleased with it.”
Skenes in for WBC
When Team USA manager Mark DeRosa reached out to Pirates ace Paul Skenes and asked him to suit up for the World Baseball Classic in March, it was an easy call. Skenes had decided “years ago” he wanted to represent his country on that stage.
“It’s Team USA,” Skenes said in the visitor’s clubhouse at Citi Field. “There’s no thought needed for it.”
Skenes, who said he is willing to actively recruit other elite talent to add to the squad, joins the Yankees’ Aaron Judge as players committed to Team USA.
The Captain checks in
David Wright made a rare visit to Citi Field on Tuesday, partly to promote the “Battle of the Badges” charity baseball game between NYPD and FDNY on Aug. 17.
“One of the highlights of my year for sure, coming and hanging out with those guys,” Wright said.
A few other highlights from his media session:
* On Judge being assigned his Captain America nickname after his WBC commitment: “He’s hitting, like, .900 with a hundred homers through April, so I don’t have any objection to that. I wish I could hit like that.”
* On whether he would want to work for Team USA despite having no desire to be in baseball full-time: “Team USA is near and dear to my heart for sure, so that seems like it’d be fun to be involved in some way.”
* On Pete Alonso closing in on passing Wright and Darryl Strawberry to break the franchise home run record: “He did [it] a lot quicker than I did, that’s for sure. Certainly one of the premier power hitters in baseball. It just seems like every time the ball leaves his bat, it’s got a chance to leave the ballpark . . . Certainly deserving with the power credentials he’s shown.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
