Mets Player Performance Meter: Position players, September 17-23

The Mets dropped their series to the Phillies this week, but rallied to take three out of four from the Nationals over the weekend. However, they were shut out twice this week and the chasm between the few players performing very well and, well, everyone else continues to grow wider and wider.

Luckily, as has been the story for the past few weeks now, the top offensive producers continue to be the players that will be a part of the future for the Mets in 2019 and beyond. The Mets’ hits leader this week is the unstoppable Jeff McNeil, who collected 11 hits this week and posted a .423/.483/.577 slash line, good for a team leading 195 wRC+. He also scored four runs and drove in two in his 30 plate appearances this week. He continues to not walk very often and not strike out very often either, getting on base at an extremely high rate through making hard contact. Despite the fact that Mets brass continues to be lukewarm on anointing him the starting second baseman next year, it’s hard to argue he hasn’t earned it with his play.

Michael Conforto continues to barrel toward the end of the season red hot. He put up a 193 wRC+ this week, which is second only to McNeil for the team lead. His 11 RBIs lead the team and include a six RBI game in Monday night’s 9-4 win over the Phillies. In 34 plate appearances, he had eight hits—five of them for extra bases—and seven walks. He hit two home runs and scored three runs.

The only other player besides McNeil to collect double digit hits this week was Amed Rosario, whose hot streak at the plate continues. However, while he hit over .300 for the week, all but one of his hits were singles, which makes for a pedestrian 79 wRC+ for the week for Rosario. That said, a .314 on-base percentage is something the Mets will certainly take from Rosario, who the Mets have been using in the leadoff role. He has now buoyed his OBP to .300 for the year, which is impressive considering where he started. Rosario also scored five runs and stole four bases this week, both of which lead the team.

Speaking of a high on-base percentage but not much else, Brandon Nimmo is collecting his walks as usual. His eight free passes in 32 plate appearances lead the team. Therefore, he carries a .406 on-base percentage for the week despite having just four hits. Nimmo scored two runs, but drove in no runs this week. He holds a 110 wRC+.

Jay Bruce continues to make a statement to the Mets that he can be a productive part of 2019 by tearing the cover off the ball since returning from the disabled list. He put up a 144 wRC+ over 28 plate appearances with six hits, five walks, five RBIs, three runs scored, and a home run. What has been impressive of late is that Bruce is walking more and striking out less, meaning he can wait for his pitch and make solid contact; it’s clear his power has returned too—half of his hits this week went for extra bases.

Meanwhile, the Mets’ other options at first base have fallen off considerably. Unfortunately, Wilmer Flores was diagnosed with arthritis in both of his knees. While Flores is hopeful that the condition will not affect him too much moving forward, there are certainly question marks involving his future. At the very least, this provides a possible explanation for his prolonged second-half slump. Before the arthritis sidelined him, he had a hit and a walk in two plate appearances this week.

Dominic Smith has very much cooled off at the plate as well, putting up his second mediocre week in a row. He collected five hits and a walk in his 22 plate appearances this week, good for a 68 wRC+. He scored two runs and also drove in two runs this week.

Speaking of cooling off, Todd Frazier fell off a cliff this week, posting just a 17 wRC+ over 27 plate appearances. He had three hits, three walks, and scored a run. Most strikingly, he struck out at an alarming 37% rate this week. Frazier is always going to be a hitter that strikes out a lot, but can make up for that with his power, which he has not done this week, carrying a .042 ISO.

Speaking of strikeouts, Austin Jackson—oh boy, Austin Jackson. He struck out in over half of his 17 plate appearances this week and collected just two hits, good for an unsightly -25 wRC+ for the week. Hopefully if anything good can come from his multi-week slump from Jackson, it would be a realization on the part of the Mets that bringing him back next season would be misguided.

After being kept out of the lineup due to bulging disc, Devin Mesoraco returned to catch Jacob deGrom in his most recent start and reached base all four times he came to the plate on Friday. He had three hits, two for extra bases, and a walk. He also drove in one of the Mets’ four runs.

In Mesoraco’s absence, Kevin Plawecki has not done so well at the plate lately. He holds just a 2 wRC+ this week, collecting two hits and two walks in his 18 plate appearances. He drove in two runs and scored one.

Tomas Nido, who had been acting as the primary backup, also struggled at the plate this week. He had a single in six plate appearances and scored a run.

Jose Lobaton may have only gotten two plate appearances this week and gone hitless, but his sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run in the Mets’ 5-4 extra-inning victory over his former team on Thursday.

Jose Reyes had a good week at the plate last week, but this week it’s business as usual. He went hitless over his eight plate appearances, drawing one walk and scoring a run.

Jack Reinheimer continues to occupy a spot on the roster because it’s September and why not? He did not reach base in four plate appearances this week.