John Means on Player of the Week award and his next start

For his next act, Orioles left-hander John Means will face the New York Mets tomorrow night at Citi Field.

It will be his first game since his no-hitter Wednesday at Seattle. His first time out since today being named American League Player of the Week. An award last won by an Oriole when Trey Mancini was so honored on Sept. 23, 2019. An award last earned by a Baltimore pitcher when Arthur Rhodes was AL Player of the Week in August 1994.

Yep, that long.

Now Means has to somehow put all the attention his achievement garnered behind him and try and beat the Mets on Tuesday night. He'll take a 4-0 record and 1.37 ERA that is third in the major leagues into that outing.

"You know, it's funny, I was talking to my wife (Caroline) today and it's been crazy. But it hasn't really set in still," he said this afternoon in a Zoom call. "I don't think we're really going to look back at this until the offseason because I'm just so kind of locked in to this season and just getting ready every five days. All that, it's cool, it really is. But I haven't really experienced it yet mentally, emotionally. I'm just trying to pitch against the Mets tomorrow. Maybe get a hit."

How will Means approach his first post no-hitter start?

"You know, I was just happy that last start went well. That's kind of what I strive to (do): I just try to have a good start every five days," he said. "I don't really look at it as some big milestone and that was the peak of my mountain. I just try to stay as even keel as possible and I just want to go out there and have another quality start and give my team a chance to win."

Means was asked about all the attention he has gotten over the last few days.

"The ceremony was really cool," he said. "It's something I didn't really know was going to go on. I didn't know that is what came with this. It was so cool. (Jim) Palmer's video was pretty special. A guy that has had as many accolades as he has had and be the last one to throw (an O's complete-game) no-hitter. For him to send me that video, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool."

One benefit for Means of becoming such a good pitcher is the ability to try and help and share things with younger pitchers who look up to him, like fellow lefties Keegan Akin and Zac Lowther.

"It's pretty cool to be able to kind of talk to these guys and kind of lead them along the way," said Means. "Just go over experiences. Not that I'm really teaching these guys anything new, but just to go over mentality and everything that comes with the big leagues that isn't pitching. I think that has a lot more to do with it than people think. I think a lot of pitching is just mentality. All these guys have the stuff to be here, it's just sticking around.

"I'm a big routine guy. I think that is one of the most important things. I was taught when I came up and Andrew Cashner when he was here really ingrained in me to keep that same routine every week, every start. It's not eat the same meals or anything like that. It's not any eyewash like that. It's moreso your pregame prep, your pre-throw prep. I'm really big on that and I'm trying to kind of bring that over for these guys to know. I think that helps with mentality and keeping the same attitude when you go out there and throw a baseball, and that's kind of the main reason I think I've stuck around and why guys have stuck around so long in this league."

Means said he has not yet watched a replay of the game.

"It might be an offseason thing to go and relive that," he said. "But right now, I'm just focused on the Mets."

Means said the postgame celebration after his no-hitter showed him what a postseason celebration could be like one day.

"Such a cool feeling and the guys that have been there before in the postseason. Hyder (manager Brandon Hyde) was saying, 'That was a postseason feel.' You go in the locker room and it's a party," Means said. "Everybody is just hugging each other and laughing. He said that is what that feels like. I definitely thought it'd be really cool to not only go to the playoffs, but not have to do anything the next day and win the World Series and feel like that."

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Means became the first pitcher in major league history to throw a non-perfect no-hitter in which the opposing team did not reach base via walk, hit by pitch or error.

Means became the fifth pitcher in major league history to record a no-hitter with at least 12 strikeouts while needing fewer than 115 pitches, joining Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Félix Hernández and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. Koufax and Hernández pitched perfect games.