A decade ago, out of baseball following Tommy John surgery and cash-strapped, Byrdak was working the overnight shift restocking the sales floor at a Target in Chicago. He then would drive 30 minutes and sleep in his car in his in-laws’ driveway for an hour. A wakeup call in the form of a knock on the window from his father-in-law would ensue and they would get started on morning installation work until midday.

Now, Byrdak has become one of the driving forces behind the Mets’ early-season success.