Here's everything that's new and different about NY Mets spring training 2.0

NEW YORK — We knew this baseball season promised to be unlike any other. 

Through about a week of summer camp, that’s still the case. 

From health-and-safety protocols to media access, most aspects of a day are different. It’s a new world. 

Here are five unique things about this Mets summer camp: 

1. A staggered schedule 

In Port St. Lucie, the Mets would hold a full-squad workout that would begin at a certain time. Sure, pitcher X and pitcher Y might throw at different times, but for the most part, everyone is grouped together getting their day’s work in at the facility. 

Now, that’s not the case. 

The Mets began camp with staggered workouts — three per day. In the first couple days, the first workout began around 9 a.m., the second at 2:15 p.m. and the third around 6 p.m. 

The Mets then began doing simulated games, and the days were more split into two parts. The first workout began at around 9 a.m. and finished with a sim game that ended in the late morning. The second group began in the early afternoon and their sim game finished around 5:30 p.m. 

The Mets are spacing out these workouts because they do not want different groups in the facility at the same time. For everyone’s safety, they want to make sure the first group has mostly cleared out. 

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2. Disinfecting baseballs

The first day of camp, I believed I noticed something I’d never seen before. 

During the morning workout, club employees were using towels to disinfect used baseballs. This will happen a lot in 2020, as it should. 

Still, it was yet another example of COVID-19 altering everything. 

Baseballs are baseballs, especially the practice ones. They fly off the bat in batting practice, hit walls, go every which way, are caught by some, touched by others. But who cares? They’re just baseballs. 

Employees fetch them and put them into a bucket. They’re used the next day. 

Now, they must disinfect those. 

3. Mask-wearing and distance 

Reporters are confined to the press box, so unless you have eagle eyes, you’ll be using binoculars to track players and coaches. 

Except, sometimes, it’s still difficult to identify someone. 

This is because all coaches and staff members wear masks. Some players have even worn them. It’s sometimes difficult to identify someone when you can only see a small part of their face — the space between where the mask and the hat. 

And on the field, Mets players, coaches and front office members keep their distance. The CDC recommends six feet apart, but the Mets encourage employees to be at least 10 apart if possible. 

It’s weird watching general manager Brodie Van Wagenen address coaches who are spaced out in the outfield. It’s sometimes strange seeing manager Luis Rojas communicate with players who aren’t right next to him. 

On the field, it looks a lot different. 

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4. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom 

Reporters are not allowed in the clubhouse. We aren’t even allowed out of the press box. 

Everything is done on Zoom, which has become popular because of the pandemic. 

It is strange adjusting to a video conference call format. It’s more formal than the norm for media availability. 

For years, baseball reporters have enjoyed clubhouse access, which can lead to incredible human interest stories, personal relationships with players and more. Right now, none of that exists (which is understandable because health and safety is the top priority). 

This has a college football feel to it. Because you can’t approach players at their lockers, everyone is working off the same three interviews for the day — Rojas and two players. 

The Mets aren’t to blame for this. It’s something every team is doing. 

It’s the new normal for right now, and it’s great to still have access. It’s just an adjustment. 

5. Temperature checks and questions

Media members are accustomed to a bag check and metal detector screening. Now, we’ve had temperature checks and questions to go along with everything else. 

These are safety guidelines put in place to ensure no potentially infected person is entering. It’s a smart procedure. 

After stepping through the metal detector, you answer questions. 

The questionnaire is like this: Employees read off a list of potential COVID-19 symptoms to see if you’ve experienced any in the last two weeks. They then ask the same for anyone you’ve lived with, or if you have reason to believe you might have been in contact with an infected person, or if you might’ve been in contact with someone who is now self-isolating. 

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Then it’s time for the temperature check. 

This sounds like a lot, but it’s been a smooth process at Citi Field. Of course, it’s appreciated that the team adheres to the protocols.

You’d much rather be safe than sorry. 

Justin Toscano is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: toscanoj@northjersey.com Twitter: @justinctoscano