2018 Mets King of Spring Training, Final Poll

Alright, folks. The time has come. Spring training is over and Real Actual Baseball starts this week! But before we hand in our lineup cards and hear that anthem play on Opening Day, we still have one more very important task remaining in spring training: to crown your 2018 Mets King of Spring Training!

Let’s review all the candidates, both old and new.

Brandon Nimmo - .306/.371/.613 in 62 AB

Brandon Nimmo has had the most consistent spring of any Met. He leads the team in both hits and doubles this spring and has propelled himself from 4th outfielder and pinch hitter to potential starter. He has picked up exactly where he left off at the end of last season and here’s hoping the skills he’s shown at the plate and in the field translate when he is given more consistent at-bats during the regular season. He is definitely a KoST favorite at this point.

KoST points: 5

Total KoST points: 17

Phillip Evans - .261/.382/.457 in 46 AB

Although he cooled off at the end of spring somewhat, Phil Evans has shown himself to be a very strong KoST contender, snagging the 25th spot on the Mets’ Opening Day roster, beating out other utility types like Ty Kelly, who couldn’t hit his way into KoST contention.

KoST points: 4

Total KoST points: 9

Luis Guillorme - .306/.447/.417 in 36 AB

Evans probably just edged out Guillorme for the final spot on the roster due to his ability to play the outfield as well as the infield, but Guillorme made a strong case for himself this spring, both with the bat and with the glove. His big step forward, along with Gavin Cecchini’s, make the Mets much more confident in their infield depth going into 2018.

KoST points: 4

Total KoST points: 14

Kevin Plawecki - .270/.341/.405 in 37 AB

After getting off to a very hot start this spring, Plawecki’s numbers have come back down to Earth a bit, but overall his performance this spring has been very impressive, perhaps due to his revamped swing continuing to pay dividends. Travis d’Arnaud has had a very good spring himself; hopefully the friendly competition between the two for playing time will continue to bring out the best version of each of them.

KoST points: 3

Total KoST points: 12

Gavin Cecchini - .235/.333/.500 in 34 AB

Cecchini is another player who has not come in hot to the final phase of our KoST competition. But, what he accomplished early in spring should not be overlooked. After some doubters had written him off, he demonstrated enough this spring to send the message that he shouldn’t be counted out yet when it comes to the future of the Mets infield.

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 9

Amed Rosario - .313/.353/.542 in 48 AB

I hemmed and hawed about putting Rosario on this list, as he was a lock to break camp on the roster. However, he is still very new to the big leagues and got off to a not-so-inspiring start with the bat as a Met, leading some to question whether his bat would ultimately play in the big leagues. After battling through a minor injury this spring, Rosario has really gotten hot with the bat in the final weeks, finishing the spring with 15 hits, 8 RBIs, and a couple of triples. Hopefully he can carry this momentum into the start of the regular season.

KoST points: 3

Total KoST points: 3

Tomas Nido - .300/.364/.500 in 20 AB

Nido rebounded at the end of spring to put himself back in the KoST conversation. While there had been much renewed optimism about the d’Arnaud/Plawecki catching tandem going into 2018, Nido has perhaps supplanted Jose Lobaton on the catching depth chart for the Mets.

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 4

David Thompson - .348/.464/.391 in 23 AB

Thompson very quietly put together a nice spring, not only racking up 8 hits, but stealing three bases as well, which is second only to Jose Reyes this spring. He is still probably has a little while to go before he can contribute at the big league level, but he certainly has put himself in the back of the organization’s mind when thinking about the future at third base. And has hit himself into the running for KoST.

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 3

Patrick Biondi - .333/.385/.417 in 24 AB

Biondi represents the true spirit of KoST. A ninth round draft pick for the Mets in 2013, he hit .235 last season as a Rumble Pony after performing well at A-ball. He is came-out-of-nowhere dark horse candidate. Oh, and he also stole three bases this spring. Huzzah, speed!

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 3

Chris Flexen - 5.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 4 K’s

Flexen doesn’t get any additional KoST points this week due to his somewhat early exit from camp, but he was the only pitcher to earn any points with his surprisingly good showing early in spring. He was forced into big league action long before he was ready and his pitching line during his cup of coffee suffered for it, but I think his brief, but very good performance in Grapefruit League play this year showed that he can still be counted among the Mets’ starting pitching depth this season.

Total KoST points: 2

So now I pose the question to you, dear Amazin’ Avenue readership: Who is your King?