by For the first time since 2023, Gilbert Gómez is not the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Eduardo Núnez, Brooklyn’s hitting coach in 2024 and bench coach in 2025, is the new man in charge.
Núñez is in his seventh season with the New York Mets organization and is entering his third with the Cyclones. He was also with Gómez in 2023 in Single-A St. Lucie, when Gómez was the manager, and Núñez was the hitting coach.
“I learned a lot [from Gilbert],” Núñez said. “… The way he goes about business, responsible, organized, being on top of everything. I think it was useful for me.”
Now, that responsibility falls on his shoulders. It’s an opportunity the 40-year-old has been waiting for.
“It’s a lot of work,” Núñez said following the first game of Brooklyn’s season. “It is a lot of stuff you need to be on top of. I’m not used to that, so it’s kind of overwhelming. But it’s just the first day. I think I’m going to be in a good spot.”
Núñez brings a managerial philosophy that has been prevalent throughout the Mets organization for a number of years: It’s about the process, not the results.
“We are focused more on expected numbers than what really happens,” Núñez said. “So, we are more focused on hitting the ball hard in the air. If the balls get caught, it is something out of your control … that’s the most important thing.”
The front office, he said, will make decisions based on the expected numbers. If a player repeatedly hits the ball hard, but it keeps finding a glove, the organization can still tell that the player is on the right track, Núñez said. Eventually, the tide will turn.
That philosophy also extends to winning games. They obviously want to win, Núñez said, but that is not the primary goal. Winning is secondary to development. Development is what Núñez said is the most important function of his role.
“Know my players, and have an open and clear conversation with them,” Núñez said. “Giving the expectations and standards of our organization is pretty important. At the end of the day, just try to help them develop, because at the end of the day, no matter wins or losses, we develop players. Our goal is to win in the big leagues. Of course, it’s easier to develop when you’re winning, because it’s kind of hard being in an environment when you’re losing a lot. It’s hard just to show up every day with the desire to work. But they need to learn the process, and they need to embrace it, and that’s our job as coaches.”
The roster Núñez has been given is filled with returning players from Brooklyn’s 2025 South Atlantic League championship.
“I know me and all the other returning guys are really happy to see him,” Cyclones infielder Colin Houck said. “We really believe in him, and we know that he can lead this team, and we’re excited to have him.”
Also returning is Noah Hall, who just last week started his third Opening Day game for the Brooklyn Cyclones. Hall was Brooklyn’s Opening Day starter in his first season in 2024, but suffered what was essentially a season-ending injury just four starts into his season. Healthy in 2025, Hall received the nod for a second time, and then once again in 2026.
“My first year was jitters, last year, yeah [a little], but coming back now, it’s just more exciting,” Hall, who drove from Port St. Lucie to Brooklyn with a stopover at his home in Charlotte, said.
Hall pitched well in 2025, posting a 2.72 ERA over 25 games and 112 and ⅔ innings. He struck out 115, but also walked 63. Still, that normally would have earned him a promotion to Double-A for the following season, but Hall returned to Brooklyn.
He fell victim to what many in the Mets organization fell victim to: The Mets’ minor league system is loaded with talent. Across the organization, Mets farmhands are starting 2026 at the same place they ended 2025. With Christian Scott, Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger, and other MLB veterans at Triple-A, there was no room for Jonathan Santucci, so he remained at Double-A. In turn, there was no room for Hall (and many other Cyclones players) at Double-A.
As a result of this, Brooklyn’s roster is loaded with returning players. There are a few new players, most notably 2025 first and third round picks Mitch Voit and Antonio Jimenez, but a majority of the championship-winning 2025 Cyclones squad is back to start 2026.
