MLB New York Mets

Travis d’Arnaud On Thin Ice With New York Mets

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By @mturnerny

Travis d'Arnaud New York Mets

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

As part of the R.A. Dickey trade that brought Noah Syndergaard to the New York Mets, they also thought they acquired the catcher of the future in Travis d’Arnaud. He was supposed to be a good offensive catcher who was average behind the plate, consistently ranked atop the list of minor league catching prospects. Two years as a pro with the Mets and d’Arnaud’s talent is still questionable. This season could be his last chance to prove he belongs with the Mets and in the Majors.

In 2013, his first season in the big leagues, d’Anaud played in just over one month’s worth of games and hit a meager .202/.286/.263 with four extra base hits and five RBIs. Nonetheless, he was the starter heading into 2014, where the Mets fully expected him to blossom into the above-average hitter he’d been throughout his career in the minors. However, d’Arnaud continued to struggle and was sent down the the minors.

Fortunately for the Mets and d’Arnaud, if he wasn’t an entirely new player when he returned to New York, he was at least a much better one. His average rose in the second half of the season, he hit more doubles and home runs, scored more and drove in more runs. If the Mets can get the player who, at season’s end, was hitting .313 with 10 runs and eight RBIs, they will be ecstatic. While a .280 average might be more reasonable, 50-plus and 60-plus runs and RBIs would be a nice stat line for a No. 7 hitter.

And d’Arnaud has every chance to prove himself this season.

What he doesn’t have – -and that’s because of who the Mets have — is a lot of time to do so. And that who that the Mets have is another top catching prospect in Kevin Plawecki. Between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas last season, Plawecki hit .309/.365/.460 with 11 home runs, 64 RBIs and 58 runs scored. Granted, those numbers are actually very similar to d’Arnaud’s later years in the minors, so perhaps Plawecki transforms into the same player once he arrives in New York. But that’s something the Mets won’t know until he finally gets called up. A hot start by himself and a slow start by d’Arnaud could just speed that up.

So if d’Arnaud wants to hold on to his starting position, a hot start would be the way to do it. He doesn’t need the type of start that John Buck had for the Mets in 2013, when he hit nine home runs and 25 RBIs over the first month of the season. However, d’Arnaud needs to get his fair share of hits, while having a more comfortable understanding of the strike zone, cutting down on Ks and increasing his walks. As long as he plays smart, the production will follow, and that will give him the longest leash with the Mets. Over-swinging and being aggressive at the plate might cause the Mets to think about Plawecki starting.

Being sent to Las Vegas last season helped d’Arnaud turn something around; hopefully with a little fire under him again, he can continue his strong offensive performance.

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