Happy new year everyone! I have decided to look at specific Mets players and their tendencies to see how and where they can improve their game. I’ve tried to target the players that will have the most influence on the season, and having used the last three years’ results, will try to specify specific areas.
Michael Conforto: Two areas that Conforto needs to improve are his defense and his 24% K%. While everyone notices the inflated BABIP, there is little note taken to the increase in the K% back up to 24.5%. In fact, Conforto‘s 2019 season had better offense peripherals than his 2020 season. The big difference of course was the inflated luck that the BABIP brought making his numbers look much better. Also, Conforto‘s defense improved in right field but he is still negative and there is room for improvement.
Jeff McNeil: McNeil has improved his walk BB% every year since coming to the majors from 5.6% to 9.6%, while coming close to evening his K% that last year was 11.5%. The goal this year is to increase the BB% and decrease the K% to make them even.
Brandon Nimmo: The annual battle to decrease the K% must be won, finally lowering the 25% K% to acceptable levels, and also find a defensive home that will allow an appreciation for his diverse and all-star level offense.
Pete Alonso: To stop chasing pitches away in order to lower the 26% K%, to work hard on defense and mobility, and to increase his starter worst 17.7% LD%.
Amed Rosario: To increase his worst on the team 4.6% BB%, to learn to utilize the speed better and steal some bases, and to get back to his second half 2019 numbers.
J D Davis: To continue working hard on his defense at 3B, to move past a poor September 2020 that left his offensive numbers weak, and to lower his team high 49% GB% in order to get better production from his team high combined medium and hard hit rates.
Dominic Smith: to continue maintaining his high .368 BABIP over these last three years by continuing to use all fields and to work on fielding throws in the dirt.
Andres Gimenez: Increase the 5.3% BB% to be more of a table setter and to hit more line drives in order to lower his 1.33 GB/FB in order to get the most out of his team leading medium hit rate.
Jacob deGrom: To increase his 6.2 average innings per start by targeting less strikeouts and more weak hitting in order to stay in the game longer and get more wins! As my buddy says, stop striking out all these guys, LOL!
Steven Matz: get rid of the changeup that has risen steadily in usage from 9.9% his rookie year to 26.4% last year and to call up Andy Pettitte and talk to him how he fixed his problem of base stealers so Matz can finally relax and focus on hitters.
Edwin Diaz: to go back to the 2% BB% of the Mariners, to stop the one year on and one year off career numbers, to get back to the .200s BABIP of his Mariner days, and to realize his best years were the two years where he had the most usage of his change up.
Conforto, Pete, and McNeil all went through long dry spells. Management can help with that. Pete hated the DH role… plummeted during that tenure and was rapidly rising when he was back in the field when the season ended. Is somebody paying attention? Conforto needs a day off more regularly… he gets tired. McNeil will be fine… hits .320 in his sleep. Springer will make the whole lineup better. McCann better than Ramos. Gimenez will improve team offense too. Rosario still very unfinished… can’t bunt, doesn’t walk, doesn’t steal bases, and hits too many balls in the air. Can anyone get him to keep his back foot on the ground? Very talented, but really needs to work harder.
Editor’s Note – Please do not capitalize words in your post, as that is a violation of our Comment Policy.