The 2022 Mets make far fewer mistakes than previous Mets clubs, and it's adding up to many more wins.
As I watch the 2022 edition of the New York Mets, I am constantly reminded of how different this team is from the teams that preceded them. It started with owner Steve Cohen endowing new Mets GM Billy Eppler with an amount of cash that earlier Mets GMs could only dream about. But the direction Eppler chose to take while spending Cohen's money was interesting. I'm not sure that any of the three players that Eppler signed to open the Mets' spending — Starling Marte, Mark Canha, or Eduardo Escobar — were the types of players the Mets would have pursued previously.
Mark Canha, in particular, seemed like quite the un-Metsian target. A 33-year-old OF and 1B, Canha had been a part-time player for all but his last season with the Oakland A's. Mark didn't possess much power, with a lifetime slugging percentage of .431. He amassed only 30 stolen bases over his 7 seasons in the majors.
But what Mark Canha did do, especially in his last 3 seasons with Oakland, was get on base. Watching him perform every day, we've also learned that Mark is a very smart ballplayer who consistently has quality at-bats, runs the bases well despite lacking blazing speed, and fields his position very satisfactorily. And he doesn't make many mistakes, which certainly differentiates Mark from many players who wore the Mets uniform over the last decade or so. In that way, Mark Canha symbolizes the 2022 New York Mets.
Mark Canha has made himself a very valuable Met in the early going. In a year where Rob Manfred's endless tinkering with the baseball has led to a power outage across the sport, the style of baseball the 2022 Mets are playing seems to be the correct choice. Moreover, the Mets seemed to be ahead of most of MLB in constructing their team in this manner. How often were we able to say that about the team when it was under its previous ownership?
I have to admit that I wasn't super-excited when the Mets signed Billy Eppler as their new General Manager. I was relieved that they seemed to have a competent person in charge of their baseball operations. Still, Eppler's tenure with the California Angels didn't inspire tremendous confidence in his ability. What gave me hope that Eppler would be a good choice was reading favorable opinions about him from baseball people and understanding the challenges of dealing with Angels owner Arte Moreno.
To finish reading this article on Mike's Mets, please click here.
2 comments:
Canna is a real pro, who goes about the business of winning.
Guys like Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha who know how to play the game intelligently and know how to get on base be it by working the count or hitting the ball don't get the praise that outright sluggers or speedsters generate. Still, getting on base, not squandering that base when it's yours, and fielding your position competently are all parts of how you win ballgames. I tend to think back to the old Oakland A's who identified players who had skills that others didn't value which helped turn them into a contending team. Let's give Eppler a chance. Not every trade or free agent signing is going to work, but if the majority do, then the guy who had the foresight to bring them on board needs a tip of your chapeau.
Post a Comment