J.D. Davis

New York Mets: Porcello, Lugo Shut Down the Nationals in 3-1 Victory

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

The first two starts of Rick Porcello‘s New York Mets career could only be summed up by one word: atrocious. Porcello rebounded in his third start and pitched like the 2016 Cy Young winner he once was. He only needed 81 pitches to get through seven innings, holding the Washington Nationals to one run.

He kept the ball out of the middle of the plate, working in. Porcello also pitched inside more than he did in his first two starts combined. After allowing two hits and a run in the first inning, he only allowed three hits in the following six innings.

Porcello left the game prematurely with 81 pitches, but Seth Lugo picked up where he left off. Lugo shut the door, striking out two batters and retiring all six he faced to record the two-inning save. Porcello and Lugo combined to retire the last 16 Nats to finish the game.

Defense All-Around

The biggest play of the game came in the fourth inning, where Michael Conforto threw out Juan Soto at third base. Soto tried to test the arm on an Asdrubal Cabrera single, and it was the last scoring chance the Nats had as Porcello cruised from there.

J.D. Davis received his first start at third base since June 16, 2019. He showed no rust, making plenty of great defensive plays and showing why he originally was a third baseman. Luis Guillorme and Andres Gimenez also stabilized the defense up the middle. With the success of a defensive driven lineup tonight, it will be interesting to see if Luis Rojas opts for more defensive centric lineups.

The major story for the Nationals was Max Scherzer‘s exit after one inning due to a hamstring injury. It was clear his velocity dipped, but it was also noticeable that his arm was trailing behind him. Scherzer usually has a rapid arm motion, but it was slow from the start.

Erick Fedde warmed up with Scherzer before the game then replaced him in the second. Scherzer calls the injury “minor,” but any injury to him is a significant concern with Stephen Strasburg already injured.

Yoenis Who?

Dominic Smith showed why he deserves to be the everyday designated hitter. Smith drove in two of the three runs on the night. His sac fly opened up the scoring in the first and then provided an insurance run with his RBI double in the seventh. Guillorme’s RBI single was sandwiched between Smith’s RBI hits.

Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto also set the table at the top of the order once again. Despite only hitting .227, Nimmo’s three walks moved his on-base percentage to .424. Conforto record a single which continued his on-base streak and kept his average above .300.

The Mets receive a day off on Thursday before playing 17 straight games without a day off, starting on Friday with the Miami Marlins.

 

New York Mets Ride Peterson’s MLB Debut to 8-3 Win

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The New York Mets opted for David Peterson to make his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox, and he did not disappoint. Peterson had the longest Mets outing of the season and became the first rookie since Steven Matz in 2015 to get a win in his first career start.

The rookie left-hander continued to ease the stress the Mets had thinking about the starting rotation. Peterson threw 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs and struck out three. He was not dominating by any means, but his line is what the Mets want out of their fifth starter. Peterson also received help from his defense, which turned two double plays for him.

Red Hot Offense

The Mets’ offensive struggles from opening weekend seem far behind them now. Much like Monday’s victory, they used a crooked number in the second inning to build a lead they never gave up. J.D. Davis led the way with a two-run homer and a double. It was a well-rounded effort as Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano each recorded two hits and a double.

The only two Mets who failed to record a hit were Pete Alonso and Yoenis Cespedes. While Alonso drew a walk, both have started the season 2-for-20 and 2-for-14, respectively, with half of their hits coming via the home run.

Justin Wilson and Dellin Betances continued to look strong out of the Mets bullpen, each hurling a scoreless inning. Drew Smith also struck out the only batter he faced in relief of Peterson.

After taking the first two games in Boston, they return home to face the Red Sox at Citi Field. They put themselves in an excellent position to build a lead in the division as Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz will throw the next two games. The first pitch between deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi is Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. in Queens.

 

Dominic Smith wants to ‘put pressure’ on the New York Mets

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New Yor k Mets, Dominic Smith

New York Mets infielder Dominic Smith, a former top prospect, has been in and out of the big leagues since his 2017 debut. Last season he was unable to play his natural position due to Pete Alonso, who won the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year Award, manning the corner infield position.

Smith wants to “put pressure” on the Mets to get his bat in the order this season (quotes per Dan Martin of the New York Post).

“Especially with the way the season is laid out, it’s definitely a different season,” Smith said of the 60-game schedule. “I just want to come in, play hard, show what I can do and put pressure on the team to make a tough decision.”

Smith has played both first base and left field with the Mets; he has made 110 appearances at first base and 45 appearances in left field.

Smith accepts that J.D. Davis, who hit .307 and posted an .895 OPS last season, is manager Luis Rojas’ likely left fielder this season.

“I had two months off with the injury and sometimes you can get lost,’’ Smith said. “J.D. Davis did a great job and is now the left fielder because he played so well. That’s just how it goes.”

Smith appeared in a career-high 89 games with the Mets last season. He hit .282, posting an .881 OPS and 134 OPS+ while totaling 11 home runs and 25 RBIs.

Smith views the 2020 Major League Baseball season as an opportunity to remind the Mets what he’s capable of.

“For me to come back and remind them they have a pretty good young player in me was definitely icing on the cake,’’ Smith said. “I want to continue to show the world, show the league what I can do.”

Smith has no doubt about playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For me, personally, no,’’ Smith said. “I love baseball and I hadn’t played baseball [regularly] since last year in July. … I’ve been dreaming about baseball every day. I’m very excited to be back on the field and can’t wait to get out there.”

New York Mets: Second Base Options Without Robinson Cano

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New York Mets’ second baseman, Robinson Cano’s absence from summer camp, is a growing issue each day. The Mets have no timetable for his return, and they will need to figure out a replacement if he is not ready for opening weekend in just ten days.

Jeff McNeil

The obvious choice comes in moving Jeff McNeil to second base. Though his best defensive position is at third base, his production at second base would rank with the best in baseball. With moving McNeil to second, third base needs a replacement.

For the best offense, J.D. Davis moves to third, which allows the combination of Yoenis Cespedes and Dominic Smith to play a majority of the time in left field. Defensively, a healthy Jed Lowrie moves to third, allowing Davis/Cespedes to split DH and left field.

Jed Lowrie

If Jed Lowrie is ever healthy enough to play consistently, he is the simplest option. Lowrie has been a second baseman since 2016 and allows McNeil to remain at third base. He is likely the only switch hitter to stay on the Mets 30-man roster when camp breaks. With his damaged legs, at an older age, it is safe to assume his defense is not what it used to be but could hold the position if Cano is only out for a short period.

Andres Gimenez

Things get interesting with Andres Gimenez. The natural shortstop and top prospect is a long shot at earning a starting job in 2020. He has only played 26 games at second base throughout the minors but is a high upside option should the Mets turn to him for a 60-game sprint.

Due to the Mets’ “win-now” mentality, he needs a very impressive summer camp for the Mets to give him the nod to play every day at second base. During the 30-man roster period, he should see a couple of games there, without Cano, but anything more is unlikely at the moment.

New York Mets: Looking at the Designated Hitter Candidates

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New York Mets, Yeonis Cespedes

The designated hitter is here to stay during the 2020 shortened season, and the New York Mets are full of options. From injury-prone stars to bench players who do not have a role, the candidates are endless for the Mets.

Yoenis Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes is the front runner to be the designated hitter. Reports say he will be fully healthy for Opening Day, and putting him at DH would preserve his legs for the entire season. Over 81 career games as a DH, he is hitting .287/.328/.524 with 18 home runs and 60 runs batted in. Cespedes has the highest potential to carry the team when healthy, and Mets fans would love to see him contribute every day. Despite the injuries, he still possesses a lethal arm in the outfield and is a former Gold Glove winner.

Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith also dealt with injuries during 2019. He lost playing time at first base due to Pete Alonso earning the job for himself. Smith only has one previous game as a DH and but is a potent left-handed hitter. He is coming off his best year in the big leagues, and he is a better option than Cespedes. Considering that Smith will be with the team in 2021, they should be getting him ready for the DH role going forward.

J.D. Davis

It seems J.D. Davis days at third base are limited and is mainly a left fielder. The most likely situation for Davis to end up at DH is if the Mets opt to put Cespedes in left to keep a strong lineup. They could also put Jake Marisnick in center field and put Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto in the corner positions. The main reason Davis could be a DH is due to his defense in the outfield.

Robinson Cano

A healthy Robinson Cano is someone the Mets would like to play all 60 games of the season. At 37-years old, it is unlikely for him to play all of them at second base. To keep him fresh/healthy moving Jeff McNeil to second and Davis to third base would allow the Mets to DH Cano and keep his bat in the lineup. He is still a solid defensive second baseman, so do not expect him to be the everyday DH.

Wilson Ramos

Much like Cano, Wilson Ramos is someone who needs to play in all 60 games. He will not be able to do that at catcher, but the Mets hope to keep their best hitter with runners in scoring position in the lineup. Instead of giving Ramos an entire day off from catching, moving him to DH and putting Tomas Nido/Rene Rivera behind the plate would balance the drop in production from the catching position. Despite the hitting loss, the catching defense would upgrade during Ramos’ turn at DH.

Jed Lowrie

Jed Lowrie has no fit on the roster and is only an option because he has nowhere to play in the field. The last time Lowrie played every day, he was an All-Star, but he has gone a year and a half since the last time he made a starting lineup. The most significant trait for Lowrie as a DH is his switch-hitting ability.

The Mets DH options are abundant, and it would be no surprise if they had the most players swap in at DH throughout the season. Everything is analytics driving in modern baseball, and combining that with keeping players fresh is going to be a major challenge for Luis Rojas in year one.

Who is the most underrated hitter in the New York Mets?

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Yesterday, we reviewed candidates in the New York Yankees’ roster to identify the most underrated hitter in their team. Today, we will do the same with the New York Mets, a team with sneaky-good depth in the offensive side of things.

We already know that Pete Alonso is a star, and he gained that status with a jaw-dropping rookie season that saw him mash 53 home runs to lead the league and set a new record for first-year players. The Mets know they have a keeper in him, so he’s not exactly underrated.

While you could say Jeff McNeil (143 wRC+ in 2019) and Michael Conforto (126 wRC+) don’t quite get the “press” they deserve, players and fans know that they are comfortably above-average hitters that will help the New York Mets for the next few years, most notably McNeil. Conforto’s free agency is approaching, though.

Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos are aging veterans who still have something left in the tank. They have the name and recognition, so they are out of the question. Brandon Nimmo and Dominic Smith, especially the former, are excellent hitters that still have their best years ahead of them.

The Mets’ offensive asset

However, when it comes to sheer offensive talent, there isn’t a more underrated offensive asset in the Mets than J.D. Davis. The Astros’ castoff finally received the opportunity he deserved in Queens, and boy, did he not disappoint.
In 140 games and 453 plate appearances, Davis slashed .307/.369/.527 with 22 homers and an impressive 136 wRC+.

If it weren’t for his bad defensive numbers (-9.0 rating per Fangraphs) we would probably be talking about an all-around star, but the Mets will gladly take his 2.4 2019 fWAR and hope for similar offensive production in 2020 and beyond.

Davis can take a walk, doesn’t strike out a lot, and hits the ball hard consistently. He figures to be an asset in the heart of the lineup for the New York Mets. If he can rake at a similar rate than last year, manager Luis Rojas will surely find consistent, semi-regular playing time for him.

New York Mets: How the New Season Plan Affects the Mets

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yankees, New York Mets, Luis Rojas

Monday marks the first day the MLB and the Players Association will meet to discuss plans to restart the 2020 season. The meeting is the only good news about it. There is no love lost between both sides, and there is no guarantee they agree on anything.

Hopefully, the MLB proposes their plan on Tuesday after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to a representative from each team on Monday. New details from the plan lead with a schedule of around 80 games with the season starting in early July. Teams will play their division rivals and the other teams in their region to limit travel.

Ideally, teams will play in their home ballparks, which helps cut down travel. As reported by us last week, the designated hitter will be universal throughout baseball. The newest information comes in an extended postseason, which includes seven teams from each league.

During this week’s meetings, the biggest dealbreaker comes in the form of pay cuts and health safety for all MLB personnel. In March, the union was against any idea of reducing salaries.

How Does This Affect the Mets?

An 80-games season should push the New York Mets to make the most out of the season. Seth Lugo draws even more consideration to become a starter. Using the projections made earlier this week, he will make no more than 16 starts and using his career averages as a starter, Lugo will throw around 88 innings. Eight more than he pitched as a reliever in 2019, but less than his highest amount.

An 80 game season forces the Mets to make tough decisions with their depth. The depth the Mets have is always a good problem to have, but balancing it out is tricky. Dominic Smith, Jed Lowrie, and Yoenis Cespedes are all projected to come off the bench. If healthy, one will slide into the DH role, but all three have proven to be good bats when healthy.

Thanks to versatile players like Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, and most of their outfielders, Manager Luis Rojas can mix and match. Despite getting two weeks to get back into playing shape, most players will need the first couple weeks of the regular season to find their groove as well.

The short season increases the urgency to win quickly. Even with an extended playoff format, no team wants to play in a one-game playoff to decide their fate. The Mets also draw the most competitive division in baseball as the Pirates and Orioles seem like the only teams who are lighter competition.

The depth the Mets have is as good as any in baseball, but their unproven manager has to show he knows how to slide each piece into the perfect place. As we saw with Mickey Callaway, a good manager is a difference between a failed season and a World Series victory.

New York Mets: Young Stars Showcase Personalities Against Cardinals

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Marcus Stroman

Wednesday’s game between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals featured more of the usual from Spring Training. A strong starting pitching performance and Jeff McNeil‘s continued dominance with the bat. The game was televised on ESPN and the Mets certainly had fun being mic’d up with each other.

Marcus Stroman took the mound and had a terrific outing. Over three innings, he only allowed three baserunners and struck out four Cardinals. Things started off rocky when he hit and walked the first two batters. After Rene Rivera threw out a base stealer for the first out, Stroman induced a double play to end the inning. Through the rest of his start, he showed how clever of a pitcher he is. Stroman used his incredible body control to vary his motion which threw off the hitter’s timing drastically.

Bats Waking Up

Jeff McNeil continued his red hot pace with two more hits to move to 10-for-18 (.556), the best mark in Spring Training. Brandon Nimmo chipped in another hit as the 1-2 combination of McNeil and Nimmo have proved to be deadly so far. Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Wilson Ramos all supplied hits as they are picking up the pace after short skids at the plate.

One of the best parts of the ESPN broadcast was their live microphones. They picked the right guys in Pete Alonso, J.D. Davis, Dom Smith, and Jeff McNeil. Alonso dropped an accidental f-bomb, Smith poked fun at Davis and could not hear anyone at one point, and all of them hyped up an Eduardo Nunez triple. It showed how close this group is and there is truly something special going on at Port St. Lucie.

Zamora Rises

Daniel Zamora has always been seen as a lefty specialist for the Mets, but his stock is rising. Through four outings so far he has only allowed one hit, walk and hit by pitch. Zamora even has five strikeouts and the most impressive part is his ability to put away hitters from both sides of the plate. Dellin Betances still is not a lock for Opening Day and Zamora is asserting himself as the top guy to replace him.

Rick Porcello takes the mound on Thursday when the Mets take on the Cardinals in Jupiter. Porcello has allowed one run over three innings so far in the Spring.

Tebow’s Homer and Davis Injury Headlines New York Mets Loss to Tigers

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New York Mets, Andres Gimenez

Tim Tebow playing in New York Mets Spring Training games is already a headline in itself. When Tebow homered off Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Wilson, it is a 100 percent guarantee to throw the baseball world for a loop.

Tebow showcased his opposite-field power with a no-doubt home run to left-center field. It was his first during his Spring Training career, and it was the fourth time he reached base in eight Spring plate appearances. Expectations are meager for the 32-year old former quarterback, but we still know he has a flair for the dramatic.

Wacha’s Debut

Michael Wacha made his first Spring start. He is in a battle for the fifth starter spot and was on par with Steven Matz through their respective first starts. Wacha threw two innings, allowing two walks, a hit, and struck out two batters. The outing was not anything special but is a decent way to settle into the beginning of the Spring.

Davis Injury

The other major headline came when third baseman, J.D. Davis, left the game with a left shoulder injury. He jammed the shoulder after diving and spending a moment on the ground. Davis said, “right now it feels fine,” but also said the shoulder is weak and stiff. He will have an MRI Wednesday, but the early news is there is no damage to his rotator cuff or labrum.

This is the first injury scare of the Spring, and the MRI will give a clearer timeline on Davis. Initially, the injury seems minor, and it will likely have more of an effect on his offense over his defense.

Zamora Shines and Gimenez Struggles

Daniel Zamora is a projected minor leaguer to start the season but pitched a scoreless third inning, all against righties, where the only baserunner came from an Andres Gimenez error. Gimenez is known for his slick defense but already has two errors in the Spring.

Wednesday Preview

A couple of big names will face the villainous Houston Astros on Wednesday. Noah Syndergaard makes his first start of the Spring and has already poked at Houston’s cheating scandal during the offseason and early in camp. He is not afraid about throwing up and in, but there should be no shenanigans, especially in his first outing.

Edwin Diaz will make his long-awaited debut in his quest to regain the closer role. Justin Wilson will also throw as the combination of the three pitchers will likely be the crew to start the game.

The New York Mets are counting on J.D. Davis to play some third base

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The New York Mets have several capable third basemen. Jeff McNeil played lots of innings in the position and will do it again in 2020, while Jed Lowrie, if he can ever overcome his balky knee, can also play there. But a third candidate is lurking around.

J.D. Davis is known for his potent bat. After all, he had a .307/.369/.527 line with 22 home runs in 453 plate appearances. The Mets need to find a way to have his bat in the lineup most days.

In fact, Davis started last season as a third baseman but he was overmatched there. Defending the hot corner, he had a -1.6 UZR, -6.1 UZR/150 and -9 DRS in 220 innings.

He wasn’t much better in left field but held his own. This time around, the Mets seem determined to give him reps at third base again. The idea is for him to become a capable defender to occupy the position in the days Robinson Cano needs rest.

In that scenario, Jeff McNeil, the Mets’ regular third sacker, would slide over second and Davis would be on the hot corner. That could also open up left field for Yoenis Cespedes, if he is healthy enough to play.

According to infield coach Gary DiSarcina, the plan is for Davis to practice 50 percent of the time at third in spring training.
The New York Post reported that DiSarcina traveled to Sacramento in the offseason to work in a new approach with Davis.

The Mets are trying a new approach

Davis himself explained what they worked on: “Every coach had told me to try to stay low to the ground, so we basically flipped it to more of a tennis player being on the receiving end,” Davis said Tuesday. “I’m a little more upright, and it’s helped me kind of do a small jump before the ball comes to home plate and that way my feet are more set on the ground, and that has helped me out with my reaction time of reading baseballs and reading tough hops, and it’s been working out perfect for me at least for that situation.”

Given Cano and Lowrie’s fragility, Davis could receive significant playing time at third. “He needs reps in a game, and he’s going to fail,” DiSarcina said. “His first couple of spring games he might make two or three errors because he is trying something new, trying to incorporate a new technique into his game, and he’s going to have some rough spots, and it’s up to us as an organization to kind of deal with that. I just don’t want him falling back on his old habits of getting too low.”

The New York Mets’ coach also spotted something on Davis’ throwing motion. “He would rush throws and try to show everybody how good of an arm he had. … I am so proud of him since Sacramento he’s worked on his footwork and ability to get under control instead of constantly throwing on the run and trying to throw it as hard as he can,” the coach said.