Are we really all that surprised? Pitchers aren’t always viewed as leaders because there tends to be a divide between them and the position players. A guy like Francisco Lindor is as injected as anyone on the New York Mets roster into every play. He’s the leader on the infield defensively. He’s the team’s leadoff hitter. A mouse can’t sneeze in the bowels of Citi Field without him knowing about it.
What we don’t hear or see enough about is when pitchers mentor each other. Sean Manea has taken it upon himself to behave the way football fans sometimes ask a veteran quarterback to.