5/27/23

Reese Kaplan -- How to Solve the Mets DH Problem In-House


When the Designated Hitter (DH) role was implemented back in 1973 everyone was up in arms about this structural change in the lineups and the fact that an extra hitter would now take the place of the pitcher coming for his turn at the plate.  No one knew what to expect nor how it would be best utilized, but quickly it became apparent that a hitter with limited defensive skills could better serve a team doing that one thing he did best while minimizing the damage he would cause while in the field.  

As a New Yorker, the first standout DH in my memory was Ron Blomberg.  The man could certainly hit the ball and finished his injury-shortened career with a lifetime .293 batting average while exhibiting decent power and run production.  Since he was not well regarded as a first baseman or outfielder the DH role seemed tailor made for his abilities.  He was a platoon DH getting about half-time usage in the lineup and he truly made the most of it while opening folks eyes to the fact that a younger man really could assume a hitting-only role while becoming a functional asset to the team.

So, if by definition the DH position was created to generate more offense and excitement into the game, why have the New York Mets not quite understood the history and purpose of the role?  I won't bore you with the laundry list of DH failures the Mets have inserted into DH-duty, but none of them will make you forget Harold Baines, David Ortiz, Edgar Martinez nor Frank Thomas.

Obviously despite a Friday 10-run outburst the Mets offense is not using all of its cylinders on a regular basis and sacrificing 4 ABs per game by failing to assign a potent hitter to the role simply exacerbates the struggle to score runs.  

Many folks have wondered aloud about whether the Mets would use Mark Vientos in this role since 1st and 3rd are already occupied by Pete Alonso and Brett Baty.  Some people advocated using Eduardo Escobar who has power but his extended slumps since wearing a Mets uniform make many fans quiver between hostility and nausea at that suggestion.  One thing nearly everyone agrees upon is that neither Daniel Vogelbach nor Tommy Pham aka VogelPham are the answer.  

With the return of defensive whiz Tomas Nido in place of the past-his-prime Gary Sanchez, it would appear that Francisco Alvarez may not relinquish his number one role as the catcher of the future but could be thrust into that DH role when projected starting catcher Omar Narvaez returns.  In effect it means trading off VogelPham for Narvaez in terms of offense.  I don't see that this change would be a quantum leap forward in terms of improvement.  

If you're continuing to look past Mark Vientos then there is another DH candidate looming who has major defensive problem -- Ronny Mauricio.  This infielder already has 11 errors in the first two months of the season but it's not impacting his ability to swing the bat nor run the bases.  In 2022 for Binghamton he hit 26 home runs, drove in 89 and stole 20 bases.  He's off to an even better start this year with 7 HRs, 33 RBIs, 9 SBs and a .351 batting average.  

So if Jeff McNeil is going to play second base, he can't play there.  If Francisco Lindor is going to play shortstop he can't play there.  So what about making a 22 year old designated hitter who doesn't bring costly fielding into the equation anymore?  Then you are trading VogelPham for Mauricio straight up in the lineup.  Mauricio is a switch hitter so he could play every day or simply platoon the DH position with Mark Vientos.  Either of these two approaches should increase the potential for scoring runs and hitting the ball over the wall, something neither Vogelbach nor Pham have been doing in 2023.

If the Braves can bring up young talent and have them play with positive results, why do the Mets place artificial roadblocks on players' careers at the expense of poorly performing veterans?

9 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

I noticed Iron Man Mauricio sat out in AAA last nite. Maybe a prelude to a call up?

Mauricio also smartly played winter ball in 2022, and as I seem to recall, ended up with 41 doubles, 31 HRs and 120 RBIs for all of 2022. He is a doubles machine, with 22 this year.

I’d happily call up Ronny and send Pham packing. Vogelbach then becomes a PH. Those freed up ABs can go to Vientos and Mauricio. Pham and Vogel have been up 223 times this year.

Mack Ade said...

Buck told the gaggle yesterday pre-game that you would see Vientos much more often going forward and he planned on using him the next three days.

Told ya these lineup cards are made up days before the next games

Tom Brennan said...

Pham and Vogie and even Canha’s sub par play has opened the door for Marky Mark Vientos. Time for him to grab the opportunity.

Woodrow said...

Mauricio plays 2B when he comes up,McNeil moves to LF. Cut Pham and Vogelbach. Vientos and Escobar DH.

Steve said...

The way I read this, Ronny is having a hard time moving over to second base. Continue him there or move him to left field? With his speed I thought he should have been moves there while keeping McNeil at second base. Lord knows they tried less athletic players there.

Glad to see Vientos is verbally scheduled to play the next three games. After stuttering in his playing time since his call up, need him to play and find the mlb swing. (Is his playing time at the expense of Baty's)?

Viper said...

If Mauricio doesn't get better at 2B, switch him to LF where won't have to worry so much about defense. He has the speed and arm to play there and Canha isn't doing anything this season.

Why don't the Mets make Vientos the full time DH and find out what he can do once and for all?.

Gary Seagren said...

They waited forever to move Wilmer and did the same with RM and I can't figure out why? As far as defense I don't remember anyone screaming about Mike's defense when we traded for him and that worked out pretty well. Look we have play these guys and hope they stick because we need to focus on pitching from this point forward.

Paul Articulates said...

Ronny Mauricio has played SS most of his career. A change of position during the season is going to lead to some mistakes. I'm not ready to dismiss his defensive ability just because of that. He can certainly hit and the Mets do need someone who can hit at the DH spot. That's where Mark Vientos will finally get his time now that the parade of veterans has not done the job. Ronny can patiently wait and work out his fielding bugs in AAA. Many don't want to hear this, but he is a young kid who will be much more valuable if he comes up with a position rather than just as a DH.

Left field has not hurt the Mets defensively this year, so while the front office works out who to trade versus who to keep in utility roles, I am happy with Canha or Pham out there. If the kids all hit, you're talking about the left fielder becoming the new #9 hitter.

Anonymous said...

McMeil in LF,he can hit