Tom Brennan - Catcher Hitting Should Climb in 2023; Four Prodigies This Spring

Will Our New Catcher Phenom Soon Remind Us of This Fella? 

One wonders if the 2023 Mets can do better than the 2022 Mets.

The other day, I pointed out one area where I expect a real increase in offensive production....DH, where all DH at bats combined resulted in a .218 average over 162 games, with 83 RBIs.

Well, the catchers hit worse.  

In 2022, in 162 games, the catchers came to the plate 583 times, with a gosh-awful 7 HRs, 53 RBIs, and a .217 average.

That is (insert your adjective here).  My inserted adjective is “dreadful”.

Why, in point of fact, you need to understand that the Mets' hitters, other than DH and catcher at bats, hit a robust .270 with the DH and catcher contingent hitting just 25 of the Mets' HRs and only absorbing 12 of their 112 HBPs.  Why should opposing pitchers bother to hit the Mets' catching and DH dudes with pitches when their OBP was a desultory .295?

So...will 2023 Mets' catchers outhit their feeble 2022 counterparts?  

Three part answer:

1) Yes

2) Without a doubt

3) By a mile

Why?

Well, in 2022, the only lefty hitting catcher was Patrick Mazeika. 

Paper bags felt safe around him, because he couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag, frankly.

James McCann may have been a true gentleman, but he was also truly gentle, man, on pitched baseballs he was trying ever so vainly to hit.

Tomas Nido has been a weak hitter throughout his career, but even in his best year with the bat, in 2022, in over 300 plate appearances he had a .276 OBP and slim and slender .324 slug %.  

(Writer's Note: I would LOVE Nido if he could hit .276, with a .324 on base % - but that is a pipe dream).

In 2023, newly imported Omar Narvaez and his lefty bat arrive.  

As a career .268 hitter vs. righties, the words "offensive upgrade" appear to certainly be in order.

Nido?

One can only hope for far fewer than 300 Nido plate appearances in 2022 (unless you are wedded to a "if he can catch well, ANY hitting is a bonus" philosophy). I am not. I like hits a great deal, the longer the better.

I want Francisco therefore to catch a lot and hit a lot.  Because if he hits a lot, he will hit A LOT OUT. 

Whatever mix of catching and DH the Mets allot him, make it a large overall allotment.

I do expect some regression from the core hitting of Pete, Jeff, Lindor, Nimmo, Marte and Canha, who collectively hit JUST SO DARNED WELL in 2022.  But I truly hope the roughly 1,200 DH and catcher plate appearances in 2023 will result in 50-75 more RBIs above the paltry the 2 groups’ combined production in 2022, and that Rib-eye jump will more than offset any star hitters’ regression. 

Another way to say it?  

Between the somewhat shorter and more inviting fence in right, and the upgrade in catcher our rookie hitting STUDS, and improved DH offense, the Mets will, I project, score MORE runs than the 772 runs the team scored in 2022.  

I'm shooting for 800 runs, if that suits you, dear reader.

Please, someone explain to me why I am being too conservative.

800+ Mets’ runs in 2023, or bust.

Hey, if Ronny Mauricio keeps hitting home runs, he’ll drive in 800 runs all by himself.

BMDO WATCH:

Speaking of 800, it seems the Mets have used 800 pitchers in the first 5 spring games…but no BMDO. 

WHAT…IS…GOING…ON??

LASTLY…

THE FOUR PRODIGIES WATCH: 

3 great out of the gate, 1 a slow start…

Mauricio: 3 for 7, THREE HOMERS, 5 RBIs, 1 BB, 0 Ks…WOW…BEASTLY

Baty: 4 for 9, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 Ks…NICE INDEED

Vientos: 4 for 13, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, 0 BB, 5 Ks…GOOD STUFF

Alvarez: 0 for 6, 1 BB, 3 Ks…LIMITED SAMPLE SIZE