–Originally posted June 18, 2015, 8:53 AM–
The Mets should probably make some more room on their charter flights for their bats, because they seemingly do not pack them on these road trips.
It’s not like they show up consistently at Citi Field, either. But, the 2015 Mets are a markedly better offensive team at home than they are on the road.
Wednesday night’s game was a prime example of this problem, as the club scattered three singles and three doubles while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in their 8-0 blowout loss to the Blue Jays.
Of course, it’s more difficult to score when the team gets the leadoff man on once in nine innings, two of the three doubles they hit came with two outs and nobody on, and there is next to no speed or quality situational hitting to advance runners.
But Wednesday’s game didn’t contrast much from many of the other 30 games they’ve played away from Citi Field. They’ve scored three runs or less in 21 of the 30 games they’ve played on the road in 2015, They have a .648 OPS on the road compared to a .707 OPS at home, and while their OBP is just .318 at home, it’s an unsightly .290 on the road.
Once again, Wednesday night’s game at the Rogers Centre was not particularly unique for the Mets, unfortunately.
Here is some perspective on their continued offensive drought on the road:
- Their .237 average away from Citi Field is the ninth worst in the sport.
- Their .290 on-base percentage is the fifth worst.
- Their .648 OPS is the fifth worst.
- They’ve grounded into 32 double plays which is the third worst.
- Their 25 home runs are the fifth worst.
- The 4227 pitches seen is the second fewest.
- Their 78 weighted runs created is the fourth worst, which is fourth worst in the majors.
Terry Collins has been asked regularly over the years why the team is more successful at home than on the road or vice versa, and he tends to not have an answer to the mystery. There have been years when the team has been equally as inept at home and productive on the road, which of course might have contributed the team making the park more hitter-friendly on a couple of occasions.
Unfortunately, they can’t ask the other clubs around the league to move the fences in for them.
It could be a comfort issue. For instance, Michael Cuddyer has said many times this season he has always felt better playing at home throughout his career. His numbers support it – he’s hit .297/.366/.506 at home, whether that home was the Metrodome, Target Field, Coors Field or Citi Field, and he’s hit .260/.325/.473 everywhere else. His numbers are following a similar pattern this year with the Mets – he’s hit .287/.360/.434 at Citi Field, .236/.257/.358.
Of course, comfort isn’t a scientific measurement per se, but there’s really no measurable way to quantify the difference between the club in New York versus elsewhere.
That’s just baseball, sometimes.
Just Mets 