A.J. Minter might not be Juan Soto, but he was a strong addition brought in by the New York Mets on a two-year deal. He’s far from perfect, but he’s the kind of late-game left-handed reliever the Mets have lacked for years. As a set-up man expected to pitch in front of Edwin Diaz, the Mets couldn’t have done much better, particularly from the left side.

Perhaps the best part of this signing, though, was that the Mets stole the southpaw away from their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, who rostered him for his entire career before New York signed him. Atlanta’s bullpen is still quite good without Minter, but there’s no disputing that they will miss him.

Minter’s first chance to talk to the media after switching teams in the NL East did not disappoint in the eyes of Mets fans.

"Atlanta holds a close place in my heart, I'll do anything for them, but I'm here to beat them."

– AJ Minter pic.twitter.com/WWapbjJ5H9

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 25, 2025

A.J. Minter is ready to take down Mets’ biggest rivals

Minter expressed his gratitude to the Braves organization and the city of Atlanta for everything they’ve done for him, but he has completely turned the page. He’s a New York Met, and is ready to beat the Braves. That’s a tall task, but one this Mets team should be striving to achieve.

The Mets have not finished ahead of the Braves in the NL East since the 2016 season. They have not won the NL East since 2015. They’ve had a couple of postseason appearances in that span, but for the most part, Atlanta has dominated the NL East over the last decade. Minter knows that well, and is looking to change that rather quickly. The Mets can certainly use his left arm against potent left-handed stars Atlanta rosters like Michael Harris II and Matt Olson.

Minter did not stop there, though. He had words for the Mets’ crosstown rivals as well.

Minter, seated next to former New York Yankees pitchers Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas, made sure to throw some shade at the team that plays in the Bronx by saying Mets fans are the true baseball fans in New York. Minter’s comments are eerily similar to ones given a decade ago by Curtis Granderson when he departed the Yankees for the Mets.

Obviously, Minter’s compliments for Mets fans combined with his calling out of Yankees fans drew a rousing ovation from those attending the Mets Amazin’ Day at Citi Field.

There’s little Mets fans like more than beating teams like the Braves and Yankees, and Minter, as a player who has faced the Mets so many times, knows that well. With these comments alone, he has already won the fan base over. Now, it’s time for him to back up the words on the mound, particularly against the Yankees and Braves, to become a true fan favorite.