Musings
Is there any more likeable player on the New York Mets than Curtis Granderson?
On the field, he has switched positions from CF to RF because it benefitted his team. He works hard to improve each and every day. Last season, he was the Mets MVP and their best player on the World Series. This year, despite a slow start, he’s been a spark plug again at the top of the lineup. Furthermore, he’s taken to “filming” Lucas Duda after each and every homerun with the team’s iPad:
Note, it’s for show. It’s part of Granderson’s We Follow Lucas Duda Instagram account.
Overall, Granderson’s on field exploits are enough to make him likeable. However, where he reall separates himself is off the field. He donates his time and money to help his hometown of Chicago to not only have a suitable baseball stadium, but also to have the supplies necessary to learn in school. Just the other day, we saw him and Eric Campbell take their time to read to school children at PS 92:
Here are Curtis Granderson and Eric Campbell reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to children today at PS 92 in Corona. pic.twitter.com/RNPYqdJO08
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 3, 2016
Sometimes sports can take a dark turn. We hear about more and more players getting busted for PED use. We hear about players getting arrested for domestic violence. We all too often get stuck focusing on those negatives. It’s easy to get stuck on these stories. They’re important. They need to be discussed.
However, people like Granderson also need to be discussed. He’s a terrific player and person. We should all be thankful he came to the Mets. We should all celebrate what he does on and off the field. He’s a role model for not just major league players, but everyone.
It’s time to focus more on Granderson as an example of what’s right not just in baseball, but also the world.
Is this situation from 2015 or 2016? Travis d’Arnaud suffers an injury that is going to keep him on the DL for an extended period of time. The Mets then turn to Kevin Plawecki, who just doesn’t hit.
It’s like Groundhog Day except no one is laughing.
When d’Arnaud is on the field, he’s a terrific catcher. He’s good defensively, and he’s a good hitter. However, he has trouble staying on the field. Call it bad luck or him being injury prone, but the fact remains, he had trouble staying on the field. Now, he has a shoulder injury, and there’s no telling when he can return to the Mets.
In his place is Plawecki, who is squandering his chance to become the Mets starting catcher again. Last year, he hit a woeful .219/.280/.296 in 73 games. There were reasons from that stemming from his being rushed to the majors and his dizziness. However, last year, he got major league experience and time to work with a terrific hitting coach in Kevin Long. He had offseason sinus surgery to alleviate his dizziness issues. Despite all of that, we’re seeing more of the same from Plawecki.
Plawecki has hit .167/.348/.167 since d’Arnaud’s injury. Yes, it’s a very small 18 at bat sample size, but he hasn’t shown any improvement since last year. He still can’t hit the breaking ball. He’s still a pull hitter who doesn’t hit the ball hard. In short, Plawecki is still overmatched by major league pitching.
If this continues, the Mets are going to have a hole at catcher they are going to have to address.
Until such time, the Mets are going to have to continue to try to develop Plawecki at the major league level. Ironically, Terry Collins previously said the Mets can’t develop players at the major league level because the Mets are a win-now team. It was his justification for not wanting to play Michael Conforto against lefties. Now, the Mets have no choice.
They have no choice because Rene Rivera can’t hit (despite his HR yesterday), and Johnny Monell is Johnny Monell. Furthermore, the trade market is yet to develop. The likely target would be Jonathan Lucroy, who is a good offensive and defensive catcher on the last year of his deal. However, with the Carlos Gomez debacle of yesteryear, it’s hard to imagine the Mets and Brewers pulling the trigger on a trade again this year.
Whatever the answer may be the Mets are going to have to find it fast. Sooner or later, d’Arnaud is going to have to stay in the field, and Plawecki is going to have to hit major league pitching. They are the weak link in what is a win-now team. This team can win the World Series. Hopefully, the catchers won’t stand in the way of that.
Editor’s Note: this article was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
Today is Star Wars Day (May the Fourth – get it?). In celebration of the day, here are the Mets alter egos from Episode VII: The Force Awakens:
Yoenis Cespedes – Poe Dameron
- Both Poe and Cespedes were renown for their incredible air power (Cespedes- HR, Poe – pilot). Both were thought to be gone only to return to the joy of everyone. We now know victory is certain.
Matt Harvey – Kylo Ren
- Both were once the most powerful apprentices only to have a younger one with long hair and more powers usurp them. Despite their most recent losses, they will be heard from again.
Noah Syndergaard – Rey
- Both were lost in the desert (Thor – Vegas, Rey – Jakku). Neither knew when they were going to be able to find their next lunch. Both are extremely powerful and are only now starting to realize it.
Michael Conforto – Finn
- Neither were supposed to be here. Neither were supposed to show any signs of greatness. Instead, they broke the mold and carved out a new path for themselves.
Curtis Granderson – Han Solo
- They’ve been around a long time, but they are still as cool as ever. It may be surprising, but they are in the thick of things like they always were. The only problem is there are some young upstarts (Granderson – Conforto, Han – Kylo Ren), who may push them aside. However, before that time comes, they will be heard from again.
Bartolo Colon – Chewbacca
- All these years later, they may be a step slow, but they still are large and in charge. One moment you’re questioning what something so old can do to you. The next, you’re getting your arm or bat taken from you.
Captain David Wright – General Leia Organa
- Years ago, they thought they had accomplished it all as the young, brash good looking people they were. Unfortunately, they didn’t. There’s still more work to be done. The difference is now they have to be the leaders and show a new generation how it’s done.
Logan Verrett – BB8
- Both are taking over for someone else’s role (Verrett – Sean Gilmartin, BB8 – R2D2), and they are performing admirably.
Zack Wheeler – R2D2
- Both are sitting around, shut down, but both still have a very important role to play.
Jacob deGrom – C3PO
- Both have problems with their arms (deGrom – decreased velocity, C3PO – it’s red) and no one knows how it happened. No worries. They’re back and better than ever.
Dan Warthen – Maz Kanata
- Both seem to have the secrets needed to unlock people’s secret powers and lead them on the path to greatness. Plus they kinda look alike.
Terry Collins – Admiral Ackbar
- Both seem like this has all passed them by, but they have returned. They came back and led their people to great victories (Collins – NL, Ackbar – blowing up the Starkiller Base). Now if only Collins had screamed, “It’s a trap!” in Game 5 of the World Series . . . .
Lucas Duda – Captain Phasma
- Their roles are relatively overlooked. Both are large and intimidating presences that can destroy you in the blink of an eye.
Juan Lagares – Snap Wexley
- Both have been here since the new generation’s fight began, but they’ve been pushed aside by Poe/Cespedes who gets all the focus and glory.
Mike Piazza – Luke Skywalker
- The time has come where their greatness has now become the stuff of legends. They are now at the shrines where it all began (Piazza – Cooperstown, Luke – first Jedi temple)
Note, there are no Mets compared to Supreme Leader Snoke or General Hux as they just seem pure evil with no chance for hope. With that said, I think there’s enough room here for one more:
Chase Utley – General Hux
- Their sole intent is to destroy everything for their victory regardless of the consequences. Actually, that’s not true. The more amoral pain and violence inflicted the better. The good news is that no matter what they do, they will ultimately fail.
So far this year, MLB has suspended two likeable players for PEDs.
The first was Chris Colabello. He tested positive for Turinabol (clinically referred to as dehydrochlormethyltestosterone). He claimed he didn’t know how it happened:
Colabello said he only took supplements given to him and approved by the Blue Jays strength and conditioning staff. Reading this, you have to feel bad for the guy. He did the right thing, and yet, he still was suspended.
However, as reported by Arden Zwelling of SportsNet, it’s not realistic to believe Colabello didn’t know what he was taking. Turinabol was taken off the market in 1990 and is only available on the black market.
This past week it was announced Dee Gordon was suspended for using two anabolic steroids, testosterone and clostebol. Like Colabello, he tested positive despite being careful:
Unlike Colabello, Gordon dropped his appeal. Apparently, he felt there was no point pursuing it considering the suspensions are upheld the vast majority of the times. Like Colabello and many before him, Gordon is making the claim that he was taking the tainted supplement.
According to Will Carroll of Fan Duel, Gordon’s claims are false. The drugs Gordon tested positive for are typically used in combination with other steroids like HGH. Now, we don’t know if he was using HGH or something else, but we do know he tested positive for something used with other steroids. As such, it’s hard to believe he only took these two steroids accidentally and wasn’t using anything else.
Colabello and Gordon seemed to be victims at the outset, but in reality, they’re not. They’re doing the same thing each and every player has done since the inception of PED testing and penalties. They are doing the game a disservice. They are doing a disservice to the fans. They are doing a disservice to their teammates and their fellow players as a whole.
Sooner or later, there will truly be a false positive, if it hasn’t already happened. The aggrieved player will preach his innocence. No one will believe him due to the Colabellos and Gordons of the world.
On April 26th, Amed Rosario gave everyone a glimpse as to why he’s a great player who will play and thrive in the majors one day.
Rosario was the driving force in the St. Louis Mets’ 10-5 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs. In the game, he went 3-5 with a run, triple, homer, and four RBI. He was just a singe short of the cycle. It was a big games in what has been a terrific season this has been for Rosario. He’s hitting .322/.351/.563. In just 21 games, he’s tied his career high in homers. He’s one triple short of tying his career high in that catergory.
So far this year, Rosario is the Florida State League’s leader in triples, hits, and total bases. He’s second in the league in RBI and slugging. These numbers are impressive for any prospect. They’re more impressive when you consider he’s 20 years old, which makes him about three years younger than the average age of the players in the league. It’s even more impressive when you consider there were questions about his bat when Rosario signed as a 17 year old out of the Dominican Republic.
When Rosario was signed, his defense was seen as a given, if not elite. However, teams were splits as to whether Rosario would ever hit. So far in his minor league career, he has quieted these concerns. This year he’s starting to show he could be a good hitter in the big leagues.
Despite how far he’s come offensively, and his terrific day at the plate, Rosario wasn’t patting himself on the back:
We won but im having a hard time letting go of my E6. It didnt cost us the game but I've made errors this year that I would make in my sleep
— Amed Rosario (@Amed_Rosario) April 27, 2016
No, Rosario is focusing on how he can improve his game. He’s thinking about what he needs to do to become a better player. It’s not only an example of why he’s become a much better hitter, it’s also an example why he will continue to become a much better player. It’s part of his #DontBeSurprisedBeReady mantra.
Rosario expects a lot out of himself. He’s his own biggest critic. This is why he’s going to be a terrific major league player one day.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsminors.net
After an Opening Night loss, most people were writing the epilogue to David Wright‘s career. Since that point, Wright has played well. He’s getting on base, hitting homeruns, and playing good baseball. He constantly reminds us, his career isn’t over:
Yesterday, the Mets faced a left-handed starter for just the third time this year. They have faced Adam Conley, Brandon Finnegan, and Madison Bumgarner. In addition, the Mets have faced lefty relievers here and there. Seemingly, the Mets have struggled against lefties.
On April 13th, Conley limited the Mets to four hits while allowing no earned runs and striking out nine over six innings. It should be noted that last year, Conley had similar success against a somewhat different Mets lineup. Last year, Conley pitched seven innings against the Mets allowing three hits, no runs, and six strikeouts.
On April 26th, Finnegan dominated the Mets over the first six innings. In those six innings, he allowed three hits, no runs, and three strikeouts. The outing was very impressive until he was over extended in the seventh inning. In the seventh, he allowed a walk, a single, and a laser of homerun off the first pitch he threw to pinch hitter Yoenis Cespedes. Finnegan is a former first round pick and a well regarded prospect.
On May 1st, Bumgarner got the better of Noah Syndergaard and the Mets. Bumgarner allowed six hits, two earned, two walks, and nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings. This should surprise no one. Bumgarner is one of the absolute best pitchers in the game. It can be argued he almost single-handedly won the 2014 World Series. You’re going to have bad days against Madison Bumgarner.
That’s the point. The Mets have faced some tough lefties. You know what’s interesting? The Mets have hit still hit lefties in general pretty well.
According to Baseball Reference, the Mets have hit .266/.339/.442 with a 118 OPS+ against lefties. Against righties, the Mets are hitting .254/.329/.448 with a 114 OPS+. Looking over these numbers, the Mets are just as likely to hit righties as they are lefties. It’s easy to lose sight of that after Madison Bumgarner, a lefty, pitches well against the Mets.
So yes, the Mets have had some struggles against three pretty good lefties. No one should read too much into those games. You can point to three different games this season the Mets struggled against three pretty good righties. Mets fans know better than anyone right now that good pitching is going to beat good hitting.
Overall, the Mets have a good offense. There’s no reason to believe based upon these three starts the Mets can’t hit lefties. In fact, the stats show they can.
Editor’s Note: this article was also published on mesmerizedonline.com
The Mets are in the midst of a stretch of 17 straight games without a day off. On Thursday, they’re flying out to the west coast for an eleven game road trip. Madison Bumgarner was on the mound. With all these factors present, it’s difficult to take umbridge with Terry Collins’s lineup on Sunday. There were many factors to consider.
With that said, his outfield alignment was inexcusable.
The Mets had Michael Conforto in left, Yoenis Cespedes in center, and Juan Lagares in right. Collins put the 2015 American League Gold Glove leftfielder in centerfield and the 2014 National League Gold Glove centerfielder in rightfield. With the exception of maybe Conforto, everyone was out of place.
First off, it should be acknowledged Cespedes isn’t a good centerfielder. By his own admission, he prefers to play left. He averages a – 3.2 UZR in and a -4 DRS in center. Coincidentally, those were his numbers playing center for the Mets last year. Long story short, Cespedes is a below average centerfielder. He’s only out there because the Mets value his bat over Lagares’ glove.
Lagares’ glove? It’s transcendent. When he won the Gold Glove in 2014, he had an 18.6 UZR and a 26 DRS. Those numbers are all the more incredible when you consider this was his second best defensive season. However, Cespedes’ problem is his bat. He’s a career .262/.298/.365 hitter. Against righties, he’s even worse hitting .253/.285/.339. It’s hard to justify keeping that bat in the lineup everyday. It’s why the Mets not only traded for Cespedes, but it’s also a factor why the Mets re-signed him.
When Cespedes and Lagares have played in the outfield with Curtis Granderson, Cespedes has been in left while Lagares has been in center. That’s perfect. Each player is playing their best defensive position. Even better, you have three plus defenders in the outfield. This only works because Granderson is a rightfielder. Conforto is not.
Neither Conforto or Cespedes have played rightfield in a major league game. In fact, despite his appearance in the 2015 Future’s Game, Conforto has only played in left. Therefore, Lagares was left as the only outfielder with any experience in right. Coming into Sunday’s game, he has exactly 16 games and 89 innings of experience in right. Fourteen of those games were in 2013 when Collins actually believed Matt den Dekker was a better defensive centerfielder than Lagares.
It doesn’t make sense for Lagares to play anywhere other than centerfield. It makes less sense that Collins considered the idea in Spring Training and is following through on it. When Collins put Cespedes in center last year and put Lagares in right, he explained Lagares was the only one who played there previously. While that excuse might’ve worked in 2015, it should not work this year.
The Mets had an entire offseason andSpring Training to prepare for this situation. Either Conforto or Cespedes could’ve received some rightfield reps to permit Collins to have some level of comfort in placing them in rightfield. It’s what the Mets did with Wilmer Flores in teaching him first base. Now, Flores has shown the Mets they can feel comfortable putting him at firstbase. It’s what the Mets needed to do with Comforto.
No, instead the Mets decided to ignore the issue despite them being very aware that moments like this would arrive. The Mets actually believed that Lagares in right was a better idea than teaching the position to Conforto. Why the Mets foresaw this issue and decided it was in the team’s best interests to play their Gold Glovers out of position is beyond logic.
Fortunately, this decision didn’t affect outcome of the game on Sunday. Hopefully, this will be the last time we see that happen. The Mets shouldn’t weaken their team defense due to a 14 game sample size.
That didn’t take long, did it?
Michael Conforto is the best position player on the Mets.
Conforto was drafted tenth overall in the 2014 draft. He was in Double-A last year. He played in the Future’s Game. The Mets organization swore up and down that he was not ready to make the jump from Double-A to the majors despite trotting the likes of Darrell Ceciliani in the outfield. Finally, the Mets reached a breaking point, and they were forced to call him up.
As a rookie, Conforto hit .270/.335/.506 with 14 doubles, nine homeruns, and 26 RBI. That was good for a 132 OPS+ and a 135 wRC+. He was better than advertised defensively with a 7.5 UZR and a 9 DRS. He had a 2.1 WAR in a little over one-third of a season. He showed off a strong and accurate arm in the outfield. He went on and had a terrific World Series including hitting two homeruns in Game Four.
So far this year, he’s even better. Overall, he’s hitting .343/.427/.614 with 10 doubles, three homeruns, and 15 RBI. His OPS+ is 178 and his wRC+ is 175. He’s already at a 1.1 WAR. He’s hitting the ball harder than anyone in the big leagues. Everyone expected him to improve this year, but he’s improving at a much faster rate than anyone realistically could’ve hoped or expected. In fact, he’s playing like a seasoned veteran.
As Neil Walker told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post:
His mental preparation is that of a seasoned veteran. That is something you rarely see. Days like today, he’s hitting balls off the left-field wall and then catching a changeup out front and hitting it out to right. That is just devastating to pitchers. It’s fun to watch because he’s doing this at 23. The sky is the limit for a guy like that. He’s as humble as they come.
Very quickly, Conforto has gone from the guy the Mets were too afraid to call up to the gut they’re too afraid to have out of the lineup. He has already arguably become the best position player on the Mets.