Tuesday marked the moment WFAN officially ran out of things to discuss. Less than two weeks after the Super Bowl and with everyone already in spring training mode, Gregg Giannotti launched into a hat-related rant that would make Colin Cowherd proud. While Cowherd’s trademark backward hat complaints target signal callers and J.J. Redick, Giannotti focuses more on the hats themselves. The Mets’ new spring training hats featuring Mr. Met in sunglasses and an orange cap seem to be just a step too far for him.
Gio hates how the Mets spring training hats put a damper on Juan Soto’s arrival and make the team look like a “joke again.”
Listen to his rant: https://t.co/IL1CFpBrDR pic.twitter.com/WtNe1yecrC
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) February 18, 2025
Yes, the Mets — the same franchise that signed Juan Soto to the richest contract in sports history — are now viewed as a laughingstock because of a playful, fun spring training hat. Giannotti argues it detracts from the excitement of Soto’s arrival, claiming that a quirky hat can overshadow one of the biggest moves in MLB — and Mets — history. “These hats that they’re wearing — I think they make them look like a rinky-dink team,” he says. “With the Mr. Met and the orange hat, I just don’t want it to look like a cartoon, minor league team.”
In fact, “When Juan Soto came out as a Yankee in spring training, you were like ‘Oooooh’. When he comes out here in a Mr. Met hat with sunglasses, it looks like we’re a joke again. Just have the regular hats. I’m sorry.” Well, first off, it’s spring training. Giannotti’s take seems to be more of an outlier.
Majority of Mets wearing Spring Training 25’ hats yesterday!🧢🧡❤️🌴😎 they looked great pic.twitter.com/68MfYGSf9P
— Steven Scalzi (@steven_scalzi) February 13, 2025
The 2025 Mets spring training hat is so clean 😮💨🌴 pic.twitter.com/HCoBl0zP84
— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) February 10, 2025
The Mets Spring Training hat rules pic.twitter.com/f7J13HnrGu
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) February 3, 2025
Mets Spring Training Hats are awesome. Only thing that would make it better is if Mr. Met’s hat was backwards. pic.twitter.com/QEJK8Z2V0u
— Ben Yoel (@Ben_Yoel) February 3, 2025
In fact, I’ll be in Port St. Lucie later this week and might even pick one up myself. “This is the thing that we’ve been trying to shake for the longest time, being the little [brother],” Giannotti argued. “You’ve got this player for three-quarters of a billion dollars, and the first day he’s out there, he puts on that silly hat. It just feels weird.” What feels weird is failing to acknowledge that the Mets used fun, gimmicky marketing like this to drive one of the most improbable runs in recent baseball memory. They were left for dead, and with a little help from Grimace, OMG, the Playoff Pumpkin, and the power of friendship, they charged through the National League.
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They were just two games shy of their first World Series appearance in nearly a decade. And then they signed Juan Soto. So, who cares if the hats are a bit quirky? The Mets are enjoying themselves and, in the process, building a sustainable contender. If that means wearing a spring training hat featuring Florida Mr. Met — so be it.
