NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Mendoza began his tenure as New York Mets manager emphasizing how close the team was to success in 2022, not how far it descended this year.

“I’m not just creating a new culture. People need to understand that this is a team that won 100 games not too long ago," Mendoza said at a Citi Field news conference Tuesday, a day after his hiring was announced.

Mendoza became the third Mets manager since Steve Cohen bought the team in November 2020, following Luis Rojas and Buck Showalter.

“We expect to compete in 2024,” he said.

Mendoza, 43, was introduced at the Piazza 31 Club, last used to unveil a manager for Carlos Beltrán in November 2019 during the waning days of the Wilpon ownership.

Mendoza, who had been a Yankees coach for six seasons, agreed to a three-year contract that includes a 2027 team option. He was introduced by David Stearns, the team's new president of baseball operations.

“I’m excited about our roster," Mendoza said. “We got some work to do, and I trust David and his team to continue to make improvement.”

After New York went 101-61 in 2022 and lost to San Diego in the wild card round, the Mets became the most expensive flop in baseball history, finishing fourth in the NL East thus year at 75-87 despite a record payroll projected to finish at $346 million plus a luxury tax on track to be $102 million.

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