Kevin Plawecki couldn’t stay in the majors in 2016

After getting his first taste of the big leagues for most of the season with the Mets in 2015, Kevin Plawecki entered 2016 looking to improve upon his disappointing rookie season. Unfortunately, more disappointment followed.

Plawecki started the year in a bench role behind Travis d’Arnaud, spelling him throughout April until d’Arnaud was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain. The job became Plawecki’s, and again he was given an opportunity to show the Mets what he could do in a full-time role.

From April 26 through June 19—the time d’Arnaud missed—Plawecki hit .196/.301/.271 over 123 plate appearances. That line was just as bad as his .211/.256/.312 line when d’Arnaud missed a similar amount of time last year. That rough stretch would doom Plawecki’s 2016 season, as he was sent to the minors following the return of d’Arnaud and didn’t come back until rosters expanded in September.

It made sense to give Plawecki consistent playing time, as he has proven nothing at the big league level yet. Plawecki had little trouble with Triple-A pitching, as he hit .300/.348/.484 with 8 home runs and 40 RBIs over only 55 games. That all took place in the hitter-friendly confines of the Pacific Coast League, but Mets fans can only hope that some of his power starts to translate against major league pitching. Plawecki will still only be 26 years old when the 2017 season begins, and he’ll look to bounce back after another disappointing season.