Despite having a turbulent spring, there have been some positive surprises for the Mets over the course of camp.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all has been their offense in general.
It feels rather unexpected, yet rather refreshing considering how inconsistently (and often poorly) most of this group performed last season.
Here are some basic stats for the club through 24 spring games, during which they’re 14-10:
99 extra-base hits (1st), 31 home runs (3rd), .291 team average (3rd in the game), .362 OBP (1st) .492 slugging percentage (1st) an .854 OPS (1st), and 88 walks (2nd).
The Mets have also scored five or more runs in 13 of their 24 games this spring, having gone 12-1 in those games. They’re also hitting .270 against left-handed pitching, and while that’s only 13th in the league this spring, its an encouraging improvement from their .230 mark against southpaws last season.
Of course, it’s only Spring Training. The games don’t count, so the stats don’t count. I am sorry to be a downer about it, but that’s what I try to tell myself every year. The conditions are not the same as the regular season, from the game conditions to the ballpark lighting to the wind patterns and overall weather conditions. So, it’s easy to discount what the Mets have produced in a small sample of meaningless contests.
But what cannot be discounted is the approach of their hitters, something which is already unquestionably different about the club against both left-handed pitching and right-handed pitching.
The Mets are showing excellent patience (evident by their walk totals and overall on-base percentage). But they’re also doing a fantastic job of attacking the strikes they can hit early in the count, which has really been the ultimate goal in the club’s hitting philosophy through the years.
“It’s not about taking pitches,” Long explained to reporters last month. “It’s about getting a good pitch that you can do damage to and if it doesn’t present itself then you have to take it. If a walk is available, certainly we want that. What needs to happen here is we need to get more efficient with the damage we do and hitting in general.”
Perhaps the greatest transformation in approach has come from Curtis Granderson. In 14 games, Granderson has hit .424 with two home runs and nine RBI with seven walks and only four strikeouts in 33 at-bats. He’s also 3-for-7 with a double, four walks and only one strikeout against left-handed pitching.
His swing is noticeably shorter and he no longer appears to have a pronounced hitch before the pitch is being delivered. That shorter swing is allowing for much more bat control, thus allowing him to cover the outside part of the plate better. I wonder if these mechanical adjustments have helped him identify hittable pitches on the outer half better, as he has consistently been taking the ball the other way in all different counts (there’s that attacking hittable strikes thing again).
Along with Granderson, David Wright – who has evolved into more of a pull hitter in recent years – has enjoyed success with the approach as well. Ironically, it was this approach which made him so successful earlier in his career, and something he’s struggled to remain consistent with at times since. Two of his three home runs as well as his lone double in camp have been up the middle or the opposite way. Again, a small sample, but it’s indicative of a necessary adjustment Wright – and the rest of his teammates – has been making this spring.
Whatever the case is, Long seems to be having a profound affect on Granderson, Wright, and the rest of the club so far in 2015.
“There’s a lot of good vibes going on,” Long recently told David Lennon of Newsday. “It’s really just about getting to know guys and what makes them tick. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”
The biggest question going forward will be what happens when the bell rings in ten days. In an era not known for its offense, it’s unrealistic to expect the Mets to continue this trend statistically, especially in more unfavorable weather conditions, different pressures, longer outings from starters, stiffer competition late in games, and bigger ballparks in many cases.
However, if the approach remains consistent to what they’ve done this spring, it’s reasonable to expect contact rates to improve which will in turn positively impact their ability to reach base and situational hitting, and in turn score more runs.
At least, that’s what I am hoping for.
Just Mets 