Just Mets

Michael Cuddyer’s story for 2015 has gone seemingly parallel to the Mets story of 2015.

Both of them have experienced an identity crisis over the first third of the season.

His overall line had been serviceable for the Mets, but nothing that stood out in particular. He was hitting .267/.323/.403 with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs and 24 RBI.

That put him on a pace for 17 home runs and 70 RBI over a 162 game season. Again, good, but doesn’t particularly that stands out.

Part of what has prevented Cuddyer from standing out has been his early struggles with runners in scoring position. He was hitting just .208 with 20 strikeouts in those situations coming into play on Thursday night, and had grounded into eight double plays on the season.

But on Thursday night, Cuddyer capped a night defined by resiliancy for the Mets. He drove in Curtis Granderson for the second time on the night with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth, giving him his fourth walk-off RBI of his career and the first since 2006.

“It’s huge, morale-wise for us,” Terry Collins said after the win on Thursday night.

The Mets had to battle back from two deficits. The Giants plated two runs in the top of the first inning, then benefitted from an Eric Campbell error in the sixth with a two-run home run from Brandon Crawford to put the Mets behind by a run again.

But the Mets scratched across a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to knock out Tim Lincecum, and then Curtis Granderson tied the game up again for the Mets with a single in the seventh inning.

“What was impressive about tonight’s win was we were really resilient,” Cuddyer explained about the win. “We got down and to come back against their bullpen, which has been tough all year, speaks volumes about our resilience.”

With the Mets seeking to find their identity in the absence of David Wright, Cuddyer has most certainly done what he can to lead this group of young and wandering players in the clubhouse. It’s been important to him that he remain genuine and not try to be someone he’s not – he’s spoken about just being who he is for the benefit of his teammates since February, and if that makes him a leader, he’s happy with that role.

Vocal leadership is great. Terry Collins has commended both Cuddyer and Granderson for being go-to guys in the clubhouse. But it’s also important they have an on-field leader and someone who can lead by example with big plays and big hits.

Collins has called upon his two veterans to step up in the face of adversity. But up until now, Cuddyer in particular had really struggled to deliver in key situations. Hopefully Thursday’s walk-off hit is the beginning for Cuddyer in those spots, and an initiation for him as he and the Mets try to form an identity this summer.

After all, the Mets are going to need him in those spots more and more as the plot thickens in the pennant race.

Here is video of Cuddyer’s walk-off hit in the ninth inning on Thursday: