Mike's Mets - Time for the Bats to Show Up

No, not that bat

 By Mike Steffanos

The New York Mets are inching closer to having their Opening Day lineup back. Jeff McNeil will be back today while Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto are doing minor league rehabs. Oh, and Albert Almora has also returned, though it's hard to imagine his bat contributing very much to the cause with his bat. It would be nice to make some sort of declaration that the days of scratching for runs against mediocre pitchers are over. Maybe that will happen eventually, but these guys coming back weren't hitting all that well before they left. I'm sure they'll have some rust to shake off, too.

It wasn't all that long ago that there was some question about whether fill-ins José Peraza, Brandon Drury, and Billy McKinney had made a case for themselves remaining on the active roster as backups. Peraza and Drury have fallen to the wrong side of the Mendoza line and seem likely to see Syracuse if they remain with the organization.

I suppose a case can be made for McKinney even as his numbers have come back down to earth. He's a solid defensive outfielder, and Keith Hernandez really likes his bat speed. The problem is, the Mets don't really need another left-handed hitting outfielder once Nimmo and Conforto are back. There is also talk that the lefty-swinging McNeil might get some outfield assignments to get Luis Guillorme's glove in the game more regularly. Guillorme could help his own cause if he can manage an occasional extra-base hit. He has 12 hits this season in 42 AB, all singles.

It strikes me that everyone coming back really makes for the return of questions that have been deferred during the past month or so. Looking around the diamond, there will be some jobs up for grabs as the season progresses.

Catcher: James McCann has rebounded back to offensive respectability in the past month and looks genuinely poised to pull those numbers up further. While Tomás Nido has fallen back a bit from a hot start, he is more than holding down the backup spot. The biggest question remains the lack of depth behind these two.

First Base: Pete Alonso has dealt with injuries and some inconsistencies. His power isn't quite where you'd like to see it, but he's been closer to what you'd expect than most of the Mets hitters in 2021. Dominic Smith is a better defender at the position, but he's primarily a LF this year unless something drastic changes.

Second Base: Now it gets interesting. Jeff McNeil is not a terrible defender at the position, but he needs to hit more like the McNeil of his first three seasons to keep the regular job. He was hitting .242/.336/.374 when he went on the IL, and that obviously won't cut it going forward. On the other hand, if Luis Guillorme can find some extra-base hits to complement the singles and walks he's amassed, he can eat into McNeil's starts at second. I really believe this a pivotal year for Jeff. If he hits like he has done, McNeil establishes himself as the starting second baseman. If not, he becomes more of a utility man or trade bait.

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor has slashed .275/.359/.522 in June. Those numbers are in line with his offensive output in 2017-2019. More of that combined with the great defense and leadership would make shortstop the one position the Mets don't have to worry about.

Third Base: Like McNeil, J. D. Davis came into 2021 hoping to establish himself as a regular MLB third baseman. Unfortunately, Davis has only played in 14 games this season and has yet to begin a minor league rehab. Jonathan Villar has done fine filling in, but a .240/.323/.402 batting line is not really what you want from a starting third baseman. Guillorme can provide solid defense at the position, but the lack of extra-base hits is a problem here, even more than 2B. The Mets can sure use some of Davis' right-handed pop when he finally does come back. It still remains to be seen, however, if Davis can establish himself as a regular. His defense remains a question mark, and we're not even sure of what Davis really is as a hitter.

Left Field: Dom Smith has done a decent job as a defender this season. He looks a bit more confident, and I'm sure the beefed-up analytics department has helped, too, with better positioning. The offense is a problem, however. Dom has slumped badly recently after a nice hot stretch where he looked like the big bat from last year. The bottom line is that the man I hoped would be our best overall hitter is slashing .240/.316/.365 in 2021. I keep wondering when (and if) the sustained hot stretch will come. We all hope that the Mets can be such a better offensive team than they've been so far. Dom Smith providing what's expected with the bat would be a large part of making that happen.

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