Takeaways from Mets' Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso ahead of Wild Card Series

Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman Pete Alonso spoke together with media Thursday, as the two prepare for the team's best-of-three Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field beginning Friday night.

It will be the Mets first postseason game since 2016 when they fell to the San Francisco Giants in the Wild Card round, and both Lindor and Alonso are excited to experience the playoff atmosphere in front of the home crowd over the weekend.

Alonso's level of anticipation for playoff environment

"To be honest, I really don't know what we're getting into," Alonso said. "I've played in a lot of high leverage games. I had postseason experience in college, playing in the Collège World Series for sure I feel like has helped, there's meaningful games there. Playing in really high and intense regular season games, packed houses. Obviously the Subway Series, that's a big playoff-like environment. And then also when we play division rivals like Phillies, Braves on the weekends, it's obviously high intensity. 

"If I had to expect anything, it'd be like that. Again, I'm just really excited for this opportunity, this is something that we worked for all year and this is why we play 162. Again, I'm just really excited and really happy to go to battle with these guys, it's a great team that we have. Again, just really looking forward to it."

Feeling extra pressure after 101-win season?

Alonso: "Regardless of the outcome of the regular season, we should be really damn proud of what we accomplished. As much as could've-should've-would've, we won 101 games. I think that's the second best record in New York Mets regular season history. So that's something really damned to be proud of.

"We're a resilient team. We have talent. We play the game the right way. I feel like that with the people that we have, we have the ability to be the last team standing. And regardless of where we're at in the playoffs, to get where we want to be, we have to beat everybody anyways. Like to be a world champion, you have to beat everybody. Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when, you just have to do it."

Lindor: "For me, disappointment is not in my mind, it's not in my mouth. That was yesterday's [news], it's in the past, everybody starts 0-0, it's a new time of the year. We have to focus on what we have in front of our feet. It's a blessing to be in the playoffs. To be in the playoffs is a blessing at the end of the day, I don't care whether it's the Wild Card or the World Series. 

"It's an honor, it's a privilege to be here. Not everybody gets to be here. I have a lot of friends who are on the way home right now, and I get to put on a hat and a hoodie that says 'Postseason.' It feels pretty damn good to go to the clubhouse and smell the new gear that you get. I feel like a little kid."

What it means to play in postseason at Citi Field

Lindor: "It means a lot, it means a lot. To be at home in a postseason series, you know you're going to get the best of the fans cheering for us. It's special. It's been a minute since the New York Mets go to the postseason, so I know every fan out there is going to be very excited and I know their voices are ready to be very loud. I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with the boys, my family, and the fans."

Alonso: "Yeah I'm excited, I've never heard or seen a playoff crowd in person and I'm really excited to play this weekend. I hope the fans are behind us every single pitch. I hope they come ready because we're going to be ready, it's going to be really exciting. I hope they go buck wild and they're rowdy and they create an unbelievable home field advantage for us."

Pressure of having "playoff-defining" moments

Alonso: "You can't let personal results define what we've accomplished so far this season as a team or individually. I feel like that you do everything, you compete, and you do your best to be able to have a chance at this time of the year. Whatever happens at the end of the year, I'm gonna be proud and stand up high and accept the outcome. But I'm really excited to compete against the best and to compete and win a championship. 

"Like I said, this is what it's all about. This is what all the hard work in the offseason, spring training, and 162 games, this is what it's all for. I'm just really excited. I just want to be able to prepare myself mentally and physically to be able to flow through my area, flow through my zone, and accomplish things to help this team win. That's all I want, I want this team to win."

Lindor: "A lot of us had good seasons this year, we stayed healthy, thank God. The postseason is different. You can't go into the postseason saying, 'I had a good season, I'm gonna do good in the postseason,' or 'I had a bad season, I'm gonna fix it in the postseason.' 

"You got to take it day by day, work on your craft, get better, learn from each at bat, and focus on winning. Focus on the little things, good things will happen when you pay attention to the little details and focus on winning the game day in and day out. If I go out there and go for 4-for-4, that would be great, I want to perform. If I go out there and go 0-for-4 and we still win the game, it's great too. It doesn't do me any good to go 4-for-4 and lose the game. What are you gonna say? 'Francisco had a good postseason but they lost.' I don't want that.

"I want to celebrate on the last day. Whether I have a bad postseason or not, I want to be the last team standing. That's the job description, to be the last team standing. That's what you got to focus on, the little things and focus on winning. Results will come to those who work as hard as they can, the game will give you something to cheer on."