Mike's Mets - Defense is Mostly Work and Commitment

By Mike Steffanos March 2, 2021

When I started watching Major League Baseball in the late 60s - early 70s, defense was valued over offense. At least on competitive teams, you were only likely to see teams trying to hide bad defenders at first base and in left field. The reason was fairly simple. It was an era dominated by pitching. If bad defense cost you runs, it was more difficult to get them back when your team came to bat. Particularly in the key up-the-middle positions of catcher, second base, shortstop, and third base, elite defenders with almost comically low offensive stats were tolerated in a lineup. It wasn't uncommon to have another automatic out or even two hitting in front of a pitcher.

This began to change as the 70s wore on, even more so into the decade of the 1980s. The great Mets team of that era were often willing to give up something in the field if it meant putting a stronger bat in the lineup. It often worked out, but I believe that one of the reasons that the team finished behind the Cardinals in '85 and '87 was St. Louis' greater emphasis on fundamental baseball.

When Oakland's Bash Brothers duo of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire helped usher in MLB's steroid era, the game really evolved to favor offense over defense. It appeared that every club was populated with hulking sluggers who bore more resemblance to bodybuilders than the ballplayers I grew up watching.

Other changes happening in baseball concurrently with PED use also helped change the game quite a bit. Along with swinging for the fences more, hitters were asked to be more patient at the plate. This caused pitch counts to rise. It also produced more walks and strikeouts, with fewer balls put in play. That, in turn, triggered an even lower emphasis on baseball defense.

Sandy Alderson was the architect of those Bash Brothers teams in Oakland, and his tendency to favor offense over defense was still evident when he ran the Mets from 2010 - 2018. But the game has been evolving again, and run prevention has taken on greater importance in recent years, led by teams such as Tampa Bay. There is a realization among the smart teams that defense has been somewhat undervalued. This doesn't mean that we're heading back to a time when .200 hitting glove-first ballplayers ruled, but teams aren't quite as willing to give away runs as they used to be.

This brings us to the 2021 Mets. At his first news conference, Alderson noted that he understands the importance of run prevention in today's game. The Mets made a point of upgrading their up-the-middle defense when they signed James McCann to be their new catcher. They pursued George Springer to be their centerfielder, too, but ultimately lost out to the Blue Jays. With the National League looking more likely to be DH-less in 2021, the Mets don't appear to be pursuing Jackie Bradley Jr, one of the most gifted CFs in the game. So, while they are upgraded at catcher, second base, and shortstop from how they began last season, we're still probably looking at Dom Smith in LF, Brandon Nimmo in CF, and J.D. Davis at 3B.

No one can pretend that this is going to be ideal from a defensive standpoint. The Mets would be a stronger fielding club with better defenders in those three positions. The real question of 2021, at least to me, will be how much this costs the Mets. Luis Rojas and his staff are working with all three players to ensure that the Mets' defense is as good as possible with these men in the field. Now, that's hardly a revelation in spring training. To some extent, all 30 teams are working with their players defensively. That's always supposed to be happening in any camp.

As to whether this works out for the Mets, it will come down to effort and emphasis. It takes a lot of work to be a better defender. Once a ballplayer identifies his weaknesses in the field and the coaches design some drills to address those weaknesses, whether there is an improvement depends on the amount of effort and commitment on the part of the player.

Often in spring training, you will see players who aren't fighting for a job just going through the motions in defensive drills. Even the coaches seem more concerned with just getting through the drills rather than ensuring that the players are getting the most out of them. That really doesn't seem to be the case with the Mets this season, however.

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