Sean Manaea will continue to be a positive presence both on and off the field.

When the Mets signed Sean Manaea last offseason, he was a reclamation project that the team hoped would be a productive part of their revamped rotation. They got everything they could’ve possibly hoped for and more from the southpaw. He went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and anchored the rotation along with Luis Severino after Kodai Senga went down with an injury.

Now that he has re-signed with the Mets for three more years, let’s re-live some of the special highlights he gave fans during the 2024 season.

Debut of the rally cap: The team started out the year dreadfully, now famously going 0-5 before picking up their first win for manager Carlos Mendoza. They were staring 0-6 in the face before rallying in the ninth inning against the Tigers to earn the walk-off victory. Before the rally, Manaea was spotted wearing a rally cap which may or may not have spurred the team to victory. Notably he was seen wearing it again before Pete’s dramatic home run against the Brewers in Game 3 of the Wild Card.

Manaea plays catch in Central Park during All-Star break: Manaea’s first half of the season was solid and he was doing just enough to win ballgames. Unfortunately he was more of a five and dive-type pitcher and was putting stress on the bullpen. His walks were a problem but he was also striking out batters at a good clip. In order to keep fresh during the break he found some local guys playing softball in Central Park and he asked them if he would like to play catch. Later on in the season he invited them to Citi Field to take in a game as his guest.

Manaea learns from Chris Sale: After watching Chris Sale pitch, Manaea dropped his arm angle similar to Sale. He saw immediate results and regularly started pitching deeper into games. In his first start after watching Sale, Manaea was magnificent. He pitched seven shutout innings against the Twins and struck out 11 batters in the Mets 2-0 win.

Mets defeat Diamondbacks 8-3: The southpaw followed up his brilliant performance with another stellar outing against the Cardinals in his next start. He pitched another seven scoreless and struck out ten St. Louis batters in the team’s 6-0 victory on August 5. He started the month on a high note but they needed him to step up in his last start of the month when they took on the Diamondbacks. Manaea was on the mound to open the crucial series and he held Arizona to three runs in 6.2 innings. He struck out 11 and the Mets won the game 8-3. Of course there would be drama with Edwin Díaz in the next game, but it was a great start against the team they were battling against for the Wild Card.

Mets vs. Blue Jays, September 11, 2024: This game is more well known for Bowden Francis’s near no-hitter and Francisco Lindor’s heroics, but Manaea was nearly as brilliant. We held Toronto to just one run in 6.2 innings which set the stage for Lindor’s home run in the ninth inning. While the game ended up being a great win for the Mets, one couldn’t help but feel for Francis who lost both the no-hitter and the shutout with one swing. Manaea did still appreciate Francis’s performance and the two starters tipped their hats in acknowledgement of the other.

Mets vs. Phillies, September 21, 2024: The weekend before the Mets travelled to Philadelphia and put in a poor performance against their rivals. They dropped two out of three and lost Francisco Lindor to injury. Now facing them again for a four game series, the Mets were looking for a bit of revenge while trying to keep pace with the other teams in the Wild Card race. The two teams split the first two games at Citi so it was up to Manaea to break the tie. He again rose to the occasion and held the powerful Philadelphia lineup to three runs in seven innings. The Mets won the game 6-3 and would win the next game to take the series. It was perhaps a sign of things to come when the two would meet again in the NLDS.

NLDS Game 3, Mets vs. Phillies: Manaea’s first postseason game with the Mets did not go great. He lasted only five innings and gave up 2 runs against the Brewers. The team lost the game which forced a Game 3. Thanks to Pete Alonso the Mets moved on to face the Phillies in the NLDS. It was the first time they faced each other in the playoffs and the pressure was on the lefty as he took to the mound at Citi Field. It was the team’s first home game of the 2024 playoffs and they had just suffered a heartbreaking loss in Game 2. Still searching for his first career playoff win, Manaea was simply brilliant. He gave up just one run in seven innings. The highlight of the game was in the sixth after he got into trouble and the heart of the Philadelphia lineup coming up. He proceeded to strike out Bryce Harper and induced a double play from Nick Castellanos, the hero of Game 2. He let out a mighty roar after getting out of the inning showing a big release of emotion. During his postgame conference he revealed he was pitching with a heavy heart since his aunt had just passed away. It was a memorable performance for both him and the team and one that won’t be forgotten by the fan base any time soon.

After putting away the Phillies in Game 4 the celebration was on at Citi Field. Brandon Nimmo was visibly overcome with emotion celebrating the win while also grieving the loss of his grandmother. Sharing both grief and joy, Manaea and Nimmo embraced on the field in what became one of the more lasting moments from the celebration.

NLCS Game 2, Mets vs. Dodgers: Facing the Dodgers was no easy task as the Mets found out in Game 1. They were shut out and needed to rebound in Game 2. Manaea pitched well enough to get his second postseason win. He lasted only five innings but Mark Vientos’s grand slam put them in good position to win the game. The team would go on to lose the series but a postseason victory against the eventual World Champions is still quite an accomplishment.

NLCS Game 6, Mets vs. Dodgers: Sean Manaea gave everything he had and then some but it just wasn’t enough. The Dodgers were too good of a team and were built to win a World Series. Unfortunately for Manaea, the Mets’ magical run came to an end with him on the mound, but the season was nothing but a resounding success for both him and the team. The league took notice and he even earned one Cy Young vote when the award was handed out to Chris Sale. After the Game 6 loss, Manaea was emotional discussing the season and how special this team was to him. He was genuinely happy to be a Met and a reunion between the two made too much sense on both sides. Hopefully he will continue to produce many more special moments for the team that is now striving to take the next step after falling just short in 2024.