The 2015 World Series wasn’t particularly kind to Travis d’Arnaud. The Kansas City Royals were 6/6 in stolen base attempts in that series, and he’d hit .143.

As rough as that series was, things actually would get worse for d’Arnaud with the Mets. The expectation was he’d take his career to the next level in 2016.

Instead, d’Arnaud injured his rotator cuff and struggled. That was basically the story of his Mets career. We’d see him show flashes, get hurt, and then struggle. It was frustrating to watch even if the overall production was good.

The final straw for the Mets was in 2019. After being rushed back from Tommy John, d’Arnaud had just about the worst game a catcher has ever had in baseball history. The end result was Jeff Wilpon and Brodie Van Wagenen rage cutting him.

As is usually the case, getting as far away from the Wilpons is the best thing for your career. We’d see d’Arnaud get healthy and eventually land with the Tampa Bay Rays.

d’Arnaud was great with the Rays, and it led to his signing with the Atlanta Braves. He’s had a strong run there, and now, d’Arnaud is a World Series champion.

It’s a reminder of just how poorly things were run before the Wilpons sold the team. It’s also a reminder the Mets need to better cultivate their own talent. The Mets need to not be the Mets.

With respect to d’Arnaud, he did well with the Mets. He just never reached his full potential. He had to leave the Mets for that to happen. He had to leave to get a ring.

Travis d’Arnaud is a World Series champion. He’s a good catcher having a good career. Congratulations to him.