PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- When Billy Wagner talks, players listen. Rookies, especially. So when Wagner yanked Eddie Kunz aside during the opening days of Mets Spring Training, the rookie made certain to pay careful attention.

"He came up to me and said, 'Hey, you're going to follow me around,'" Kunz said. "'Wherever I'm at, you're at.'"

It wasn't a question. It was an order. And Wagner's newest shadow was thrilled to comply.

"That definitely means a lot," Kunz said. "You've got one of the better closers in Major League Baseball right now, and I pretty much get to be his understudy. He's just working with me and building everything up, and that's such a privilege."

And such a responsibility. Kunz isn't here for fun. He's here to work, to improve, and maybe -- just maybe -- to make the team. It's more possibility than probability, to be certain. But less than one year after the Mets selected him as their top pick in last summer's First-Year Player Draft, Kunz could be next in line to stamp his mark in Queens -- and to take the first steps toward something much greater.

"Who knows," Wagner said. "He may be closing here next year. And you want him to be prepared and ready to go. He needs to know that this is a business and it's work, and there are just little intangibles that he needs to know before he gets here."

Billed as a safe Draft pick out of college, Kunz was a big, hulking reliever with a live fastball and a straight path to the Majors -- the kind of guy with closer's ability in his blood. The Mets didn't draft him to sit in the Minors for seasons and seasons. They drafted him to compete right away.

Joe Smith set that precedent last year when he unexpectedly broke camp with the club -- "He was the only one that thought it," joked teammate Mike Pelfrey -- and paved the way for Kunz to do the same this spring. Now all he has to do is impress.

When Smith did so -- also not even a year out of college -- his roster spot was based less on pedigree than on his impressive spring performances. Anything is possible at the back end of this bullpen, and both relievers have now seen enough precedent to believe it.

"You're just here to make a name for yourself," Smith said. "But at the same time, my goal was to make it to the big leagues. If you're here, you might as well try your [rear end] off."

Now it's Kunz's turn. He'll compete with Smith, among others, in a bullpen bursting with right-handed arms. And though his resume pales in comparison to some -- Kunz is just 21 years old -- that doesn't mean that it won't command a long look.

Kunz knows that much, so perhaps that's why his fastball had some noticeable zip during a bullpen session on Sunday afternoon. The pitch is like his personality -- big and bold. And it's carried him to where he is today.

Dominating as a college reliever, Kunz finished his junior season at Oregon State with 12 saves and a 2.91 ERA, and scouts liked what they saw. In a game where teams now routinely draft polished college relievers -- thank Washington's Chad Cordero for that trend -- someone with Kunz's ability gets noticed. The Mets drafted him 42nd overall last summer, expecting great things in the not-so-distant future.

Now, that future has arrived. And the Mets still expect great things, even as camp progresses.

"It's not a win-or-lose situation for me," Kunz said. "It's not like if I don't make the team, my life is done. If I make the team, that's amazing, and I'll be a step ahead of a lot of people. But if I don't make the team, that's OK. I've learned so much already."

Most of it from Wagner, who now holds a personal interest in Kunz's young career. He wants Kunz to succeed because he wants the Mets to succeed. It's that simple.

"I believe that this kid's got it in him to be great," Wagner said. "And he should know the work ethic and what it takes to be mentally and physically ready for that challenge. That's something that I want to be able to help if I can and keep my mouth shut if I can't."

Either way, Kunz will keep listening.