NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS VS DODGERS

October 13, 2024

Sean Manaea

Dodger Stadium

New York Mets

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. What kind of teammate is Jose Iglesias and what has he brought since he's been here?

SEAN MANAEA: His best. Ever since Spring Training he's gone out of his way to introduce himself. And the situation was, from his perspective, really tough, but he was always positive and uplifting. Ever since he's been here he's just brought the energy and vibes. And just an overall great human being and obviously very talented on and off the field.

Nothing but love for him and just everything he's brought.

Q. You're closing in on 200 innings for the year total. You've got a couple other guys in the rotation, Severino and Quintana, who have thrown more than they have in the recent past. What's allowed all of you to not just reach this point in the season still healthy but pitching as well as you have at any point in the year?

SEAN MANAEA: Just consistently staying in our routines. I feel like we can tell when we're pitching just based off of what kind of day it is for them, whether it's their bullpen day or like in between and stuff like that.

And just kind of holding each other accountable. It's a long grind of a season starting in February and then it's halfway through October now. And you've got to be consistent with everything.

I think that's just a big thing, all of us just want to go out there and be great. And I think all three of us and the rest of the staff have done an unbelievable job with that.

Q. There wasn't a lot of familiarity within that rotation at the start of the season. How has your camaraderie evolved over the season and developed?

SEAN MANAEA: It's been great. I had never met pretty much anybody on the team before the beginning of the season. I work out with Sevy a little bit during the offseason but other than that we were all fairly new.

I think pretty quickly we all knew we could be good, and we're all professional with each other. And we just consistently each day just wanted to get better. We've all done that. And just super proud of where everybody's been up to this point.

Q. Where did you and Severino work out together?

SEAN MANAEA: Driveline, I believe it would have been in December or January.

Q. You last faced the Dodgers in April. In what ways are you a different pitcher now?

SEAN MANAEA: Obviously I've dropped down. And mechanical stuff was different, pitches are pretty much the same. Overall just a little more confident in myself, in my stuff. And I would say those major things. But at the end of the day just gotta go out and attack guys. And I would say those things.

Q. Did confidence come after you dropped down and started pitching so well?

SEAN MANAEA: I would say it definitely helped, but it's always just kind of there. But you kind of have to go out there and prove it, too, for yourself and everybody else.

But, I mean, you can only be that way for a little bit. You actually have to go do the things. And slowly but surely I feel I've been doing that. Feel like I'm in a good spot right now.

Q. Before your first playoff game we asked about your playoff history. Before your next one we asked about the previous start against the Phillies. In your career you've not had a lot of success against the Dodgers. I guess along the way here does it feel like you're kind of proving yourself in different ways with each start?

SEAN MANAEA: Yeah. I think you've hit the nail on the head. Some teams have had my number over the years. And I feel like I've had to -- the baseball gods have given me the opportunities to go out there and prove again and again, just to be able to go out there and find some good results.

And this team is no different. Obviously they're a very talented team. And I faced them multiple times throughout my career. But had some good ones and definitely a lot of bad ones.

Just trying to do my best to go out there and just give the boys a chance to win. And this opportunity is no different.

Q. You've kind of talked about how you're always tinkering in the bullpen and always trying to find some different, I don't know, grips or arm angles. Does that kind of stop in the postseason? How do you manage that at this time of year?

SEAN MANAEA: Yeah, I mean, I feel good. And as long as I'm feeling good and healthy and just in a place where I feel like I can throw my pitches for strikes, I don't think I really need to do much else.

Obviously the hitters are going to tell me where I'm at. And I feel like I've had some good success so far.

I wouldn't say I'm overhauling anything or anything like that. But I think there's always a little bit of a tiny mechanical stuff just to be able to have those feelings. And that's where we're at right now.