PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Several characteristics distinguished Juan Lagares’s outfield glove last season. It was orange with blue trim — Mets colors — along with a patch of black on the back. His son’s name, “J Lagares Jr.,” was stitched into the side. And inside the pocket, on the palm, the leather was worn and scuffed as if permanently bruised.

This was Lagares’s tool of trade, the one he used to catch baseballs better than almost anyone else in the major leagues. For him, his glove was what a paintbrush is to a renowned artist, what a pair of Nikes were to Michael Jordan.

Lagares used his glove to win two prestigious awards — a Gold Glove and a Fielding Bible. He used his glove to establish himself as perhaps the best defensive center fielder in baseball.

Once a year, around this time, Lagares starts over with two new gloves supplied by Wilson. One glove will primarily be used during games, the other for practice. On Friday, two Wilson representatives arrived at Mets camp with the new pair.