PORT ST. LUCIE — Carlos Mendoza witnessed it firsthand when he was with the Yankees. The slider. The two-seam fastball. Jorge Lopez, in 2022, was the dynamic anchor of the Orioles’ bullpen, and six of his first 44 appearances — where 19 saves prompted an All-Star appearance — came against their AL East rival.
But after the stretch, that version of Lopez disappeared.
His ERA ballooned from 1.68 to 4.37 after Baltimore dealt him to the Twins in 2022, and the converted starter was traded once and designated for assignment twice within the past 12 months before reaching free agency for the first time.
The Mets still made him their first bullpen signing of the offseason, though.
He won’t fill the closer spot — not with Edwin Díaz returning, and especially not with his recent track record — but Lopez was one of the four names Mendoza listed Monday when discussing who, depending on the matchup, could pitch their eighth innings.
“I still have the stuff,” Lopez told The Post on Sunday. “I believe it.”
His results this spring have been mixed.
Two scoreless innings were sandwiched by three others where he allowed a run, including Sunday against the Tigers, when he surrendered three hits. But Lopez said his variety of roles from the past two years positioned him to help the Mets plug whatever pitching gaps they need to fill during games.
“For me, just stay concentrated from the sixth, seventh, eighth, whatever situation they give me,” Lopez said, who added that it even “could be nine” depending on the rest of their pitching plans.
But just by sticking with the Mets this season, López would encounter more stability.
He started 2022 with the Twins and struggled with a rising ERA. He went on the 15-day injured list in late June to address his mental health — something the team approached him about after he was “kicking stuff, punching stuff, getting mad real quick,” he said last year — and reset.
He still threw bullpen sessions, and he spoke with a psychologist and just “stayed out of the game for a little bit,” he said Sunday. Minnesota traded him to the Marlins by the end of the month, but López still couldn’t recapture the results with the Miami pitching staff, either.
“The stuff was there,” Lopez said. “It was nasty. It was really good. But mentally-wise, when I struggled, I couldn’t get back to it.”
He ended up back with the Orioles before the season ended. Then, he hit free agency for the first time. Lopez has been on 100-loss teams where it’s a struggle to get through the season. He’s been on postseason-caliber teams where he’s been one of the least effective pitchers, too.
But after the tumultuous 2022 campaign — a 5.13 ERA across 49 appearances with the trio of teams — Lopez just needed a chance. The role didn’t necessarily matter, even if it might look different.
He knows how quickly everything can change.
“He’s feeling good,” Mendoza said. “Velo’s there. The movement of his pitches is there, obviously the two-seam, the slider. …. We’re expecting him to be a huge part of our bullpen, and so far, he’s been great here in camp.”
