It hasnt been smooth sailing for Travis d’Arnaud this spring.
D’Arnaud entered Tuesday’s game against the Nationals having gone just 9-for-43 with five RBI with no walks and four strikeouts in 15 games, including a current 1-for-9 stretch over his previous three games.
Like last spring when d’Arnaud also struggled, he isn’t alarmed despite his uneven numbers as Opening Day approaches.
“I’m getting in good hitter’s counts and seeing the ball well, which I feel is most important,” d’Arnaud said, according to the New York Post.
D’Arnaud did show some life in Tuesday’s game, going 2-for-3 with two singles to raise his Grapefruit League average to .239 in 16 games.
After the game, Collins also didn’t seem alarmed with d’Arnaud’s inconsistencies in camp.
“You can’t get caught up in spring training — just like I’m not getting caught up with the guys that are hitting .450,” Collins explained. “But today [d’Arnaud] took some good swings and it’s all about the process.”
Collins said d’Arnaud’s focus in camp has been on improving his defense, something he struggled with for most of last year.
D’Arnaud said he has continued to execute the hitting approach he adopted when he was demoted to Las Vegas last year in camp, whereas last year he was adjusting his swing on a regular basis.
“Last year in the beginning of the year I altered my swing almost every day,” d’Arnaud said. “Then I got sent down and had a consistent routine and everything, and that is what we’ve been working on. I am sticking to a routine and trusting it.”
Collins is right to an extent, and as long as Travis is comfortable, doing what he’s supposed to and working on the things he needs to polish up on, that’s really all that matters. That’s what spring training is for. Still, as I wrote yesterday before the game, it’s time for Travis to get all the gears going at once now that it’s the home stretch of spring training. Part of it could be he hasn’t played everyday so he hasn’t had the opportunity to get in any sort of rhythm at the plate, but who knows. Perhaps yesterday’s performance was a sign he’s getting it together.
They are counting on Travis now, both at the plate as well as improving behind the plate. He very talented and is an extremely focused player, especially when it comes to his defense. And, any one pitcher I’ve talked to over the last two years has raved about pitching to him, talking specifically about his pitch framing ability. He provides added comfort for the pitchers, which is a plus.
While people with the team commend him for his concentration, Travis is said to get too engrained in one particular aspect of his game, which leaves him somewhat rusty in another. Part of his growth will be finding a balance to make it all work for him, and that probably will just take some time.
Just Mets 