If you think the New York Mets’ spring training in Florida is a sun-drenched stroll toward the regular season, just think of the team’s equipment manager.

The Mets won’t begin their preseason until Feb. 15 in Port St. Lucie, F.L.—but Kevin Kierst is already in overdrive.

“It’s a big job,” Mr. Kierst the equipment manager, said Wednesday. “It’s 45 to 50 days of Groundhog Day. It gets hectic just because of the sheer number of people.”