MLB New York Mets

Juan Lagares Must Be New York Mets’ Rock In Center Field

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By @mturnerny

Juan Lagares New York Mets

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

With exactly one month until Spring Training, it’s becoming more and more clear that what you see is what you’re going to get with the New York Mets. And what you see is a roster that’s made minimal changes since 2014, but with some players returning from injuries and others with a chance to improve. Front and center in the “chance to improve” department is center fielder Juan Lagares.

With aging corner outfielders surrounding him, Lagares will need to be a rock, holding both the outfield and the lineup together. The Mets signed Curtis Granderson last year to add some outfield defense and power to their lineup; but he had a poor year as far as his standards go, and the Mets were looking to the outfield for more support this season. So they brought in David Wright’s longtime friend Michael Cuddyer to play the other corner position. Both Granderson and Cuddyer have proven to be great hitters in the Major Leagues. The only issue is they’re now both over 33 years of age.

However, in between them is 25-year-old Lagares, the reigning center field Gold Glover. In only two years in the Majors, Lagares already has 58 defensive runs saved – and he’s never played more than 121 games in a season. That’s mind-blowing. His fielding percentage is always near perfect and his arm is well above average, keeping him near the top of outfield assists.

How often Granderson and Cuddyer are able to play — and how effective they are — is an unknown at this point. Not that he hasn’t proven his capabilities in center, but Lagares will really need to hold everything together while he’s out there.

And that’s only when he’s on defense. On offense, he will likely be asked to hit leadoff, as the Mets no longer have a clear No. 1 hitter. In 2014, he improved is batting average by 39 points, from .242 to .281, and his on-base percentage by an even 40 points, from .281 to .321. He doesn’t need to raise each of those numbers by 40 points again – although that would be absolutely incredible – but to get his average closer to .300 and his OBP over .340 would be ideal.

Getting on base for Wright, Granderson, and Lucas Duda will be Lagares’ primary job at the plate. It would be even better if he can steal some additional bases in 2015. For all his speed in the outfield, Lagares only had 13 stolen bases in 2014; surely he can do better.

It’s a lot to ask of a young player, but Lagares was one of the Mets’ biggest surprises in 2014. It would be amazin’ to see him continue to make strides as a significant piece of their roster. He likely won’t blossom into a player who will single-handedly propel the Mets into the postseason, but solid play in center and a bat that contributes will be more than enough to help the Mets remain competitive.

Matt Turner is a New York Mets Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @MTurnerNY, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.

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