There are many contributors to the success of this year’s New York Mets. Many accolades fall upon the visible heroes like all-stars Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz. The whole fan base is excited about the contributions of newcomers Vogelbach, Naquin, and Ruf. Buck Showalter and the Mets’ ownership are also receiving due praise for thrusting this franchise into the upper echelon of MLB competition.
One person that has contributed greatly to this year’s success but flies under the radar is third base coach Joey Cora. He has orchestrated a much more aggressive approach with the Mets’ offense that has moved them into unfamiliar territory – the MLB top 5 in runs scored.
Joey Cora, 57, was previously third base coach and infield coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2017-2021). He served some time as the bench coach in Miami (2012), and as the third base coach (2004-2006) and bench coach (2007-2011), for the White Sox winning a World Series title in 2005. He also managed the Mets rookie-level Appalachian League Kingsport affiliate in 2001-2002 and managed Washington’s South Atlantic League minor league team in 2003.
Another primary contributor to that position is hitting coach Eric Chavez. He has boiled down complicated analytics into simple focus points for hitters, making them better prepared for the next game’s at-bats.
Eric Chavez, 44, played 17 major league seasons with Oakland (1998-2010), New York-AL (2011-2012) and Arizona (2013-2014). For his career, Eric slashed .268/.342/.475 in 1,615 major league games. Chavez earned the AL Silver Slugger Award in 2002 when he smashed a career-high 34 homers. He may have been a better fielder than he was a hitter, as he won six Gold Gloves as a third baseman.
The difference between last season and the current season is like night and day. Last year, I remember seeing confused looks on the faces of Mets batters as they walked away from many unsuccessful plate appearances. In the offseason, there were even stories of players confiding that they were so confused after daily briefings from the analytics team that they were not relaxed at the plate.
This year those looks come from opposing pitchers who are being worn down by extended at-bats, shift-evading hits, and a ton of contact. Once on base, the runners are much more likely to take an extra base, score from second on a base hit, or score from first on a double.
The reliance on home runs to score runs is very much reduced, which helps when 50% of games are played at Citi Field. In my opinion, it is a more exciting brand of baseball as well as a successful strategy.
So I extend my thanks to our unsung heroes and to those with the foresight to hire them. Their coaching coupled with the talent on the field and the management of all the pieces has made the Mets a great team to watch this year!
11 comments:
You are right.
We do forget about these two, especially Cora who has turned 3B coaching into an art form.
Not sure when Cora sent Guillorme down 8-1 the other night, how wise that was, but the overall body of work is excellent, and Chavez sure is doing something right - I wonder what he thinks, though, of the failures of Dom Smith, JD Davis and James McCann. Can't fix everyone, I guess, but he gets an A grade. The 2021 dysfunctional offense is a very dangerous offense right now.
Oh, and the Yankees suck. They sputter playing good teams.
Kind of like the Braves being 22-26 against winning ball clubs.
Pitching and Defense win, and we've got the best of both. I've been preaching about that to the non-believers all along, and now they're starting to have faith.
My addition to the UH list is Luis Guillorme. Besides hitting in the .280s, he wears out opposing pitchers with long ABs while providing GG-level D at multiple positions. I'm sure he's far from unsung among our pitchers, whose ERAs and Ws have been the beneficiaries.
Bill
It will be interesting to see what the plans are for Luis once Vientos, Baty, and Mauricio graduate.
And don’t forget uncle Steve. He has brought us to this point and he has not been in the papers hogging all the credit. He’s a fan like all of us diehards.
Tom, if you caught the interview with Buck Showalter after Friday's game, he was asked about that play where Cora sent Guillorme who got thrown out. Buck's response was, "It took 106 games before someone questioned my 3rd base coach. I guess that means he's doing pretty well". I thought that was the perfect response. It was a bad send, but I don't remember any other times this year I questioned whether he made the right call whether it was to hold or to send.
Bill, I agree with your take on Guillorme. He does so many great things on defense, including the throw last night that nailed D'Arnaud at the plate. Then when credited with being spectacular, he defers to teammates. What a great and versatile player to have on the team!
Agree, Woodrow! Steve Cohen changed the culture, and everything flows from there.
Oddly, and I of course am in no rush to show Guillorme the door, but Wyatt Young seems to be a Guillorme clone. I still can't get over Young, in his first full year, having a stretch in AA where he got on base 30 times in 12 games. By 2024, Luis will cost a lot more than Wyatt Young. Baseball is in part the art of managing overall player payroll, which will be very tricky going forward. I think we all wish Luis could be a career Met...but by 2024, Luis will be Arb 3. Like everything else, it will play itself out.
Paul, I won't fault anyone for one mistake. Cora has been great. Just don't want mistakes against the Braves.
The feeling now is like when we went into St.Louis in 86' and swept them now we just need that win today. Well not quite a sweep but I'd take it. Going into the playoffs with a healthy Max, Jake and Mariano Diaz would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Getting that first round bye is HUGE.
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