Mets Player Performance Meter: Position players, April 15-21

The Mets went 2-4 this week, losing two out of three to both the Phillies and Cardinals. Once again, it was mostly pitching that let the Mets down, but the Mets averaged a tick under four runs per game for the week, which is down from what they had been producing the first couple of weeks of the season. The hitters at the top of the lineup continue to produce, but the players at the bottom of the order and the bench and role players have faltered this week. The Mets have also left a lot of runners on base this week, failing to put up the type of crooked numbers that had made them successful in the early going.

On a big picture player-by-player basis though, things continue to look pretty good for the Mets offense. The biggest change from last week is that Robinson Cano has finally started to turn it around after a dreadfully slow start, which would be huge for the Mets if it continues. Cano leads the team in both wRC+ with a 181 and hits with nine. He also drove in four runs, which is second only to Wilson Ramos for the team lead, walked once, scored two runs, and hit one home run. Of course, the second Cano finally found his stride at the plate, he was struck by a pitch on the hand and is day-to-day for now. Hopefully it doesn’t sideline him for a long period of time and he remains hot at the plate.

Wilson Ramos had a somewhat curious week. After a hot start, he’s looked pretty bad at the plate lately. He continues to not elevate the ball whatsoever, which has mostly resulted in groundouts. But it’s hard to give him a poop emoji when—despite his .167 batting average and 38 wRC+ for the week—he leads the team in RBIs with six. His grounders continue to find holes with men on base, meaning that the rare times he did get a hit this week, it was when it counted. He did hit his very first home run as a Met this week in Tuesday’s loss to the Phillies.

Pete Alonso, of course, continues to mash. He posted a 159 wRC+ this week and collected six hits, two of them home runs, including yesterday’s solo shot against his old nemesis Dakota Hudson. What’s been really nice to see at the plate out of Alonso is that he hasn’t been a strikeout machine either, despite his epic hacks at the plate. He walked four times this week, good for a 14.8% walk rate, while posting just an 18.5% strikeout rate. He also leads the team in runs scored this week with six.

The most consistent offensive presence for the Mets this season, however, has arguably been Michael Conforto, whose 164 wRC+ for the week is second only to Cano for the team lead. He’s walking more than he’s striking out, has a .409 ISO for the week, and continues to produce in essentially every way. He leads the team in both home runs with three and walks with five. His five runs scored are second only to Alonso for the team lead and no one else on the team has more than two. Of course it’s still only April, but the many predictions of Conforto having a breakout season seem to be coming true so far.

The only other Met to walk five times this week besides Conforto is Brandon Nimmo, whose on-base percentage is returning to normal. He’s rocking a .429 OBP this week, despite hitting only .111. He has just one hit, but that hit was a home run in the 7-6 extra inning victory over the Phillies. Nimmo also scored two runs this week. All of that is good for a 132 wRC+.

Unsurprisingly, Jeff McNeil’s eight hits this week are second only to Cano for the team lead. He put up a 123 wRC+ this week, despite going 0-for-5 on Friday. He also collected his 100th career hit this week, the fastest Met to that mark in franchise history. McNeil has yet to hit for much power this season—seven of his eight hits this week were singles—but he continues to get on base. He has an even .400 on-base percentage for the week.

After a very hot start, J.D. Davis has cooled off a bit this week. He had six hits—five of them singles—in 22 plate appearances this week, good for a 101 wRC+. He also walked twice, scored a run, and drove in two. With Todd Frazier returning this week, that will likely cut into Davis’ playing time considerably and it will be interesting to see how the Mets handle getting at-bats for both players.

Amed Rosario had a so-so week at the plate. He slashed .280/.280/.400 with an 80 wRC+. He collected seven hits, drove in two runs, scored a run, and stole one base. He struggled rather mightily on the defensive side of things this week. Until this week, Rosario had not committed any errors this season, but in the past five games alone he has committed five errors and had two games in which he had multiple errors. This is a disconcerting trend for Rosario, whose defense had looked much improved over last year until recently. The errors are mostly coming on routine plays, so perhaps some extra work taking grounders may be needed to get him back on track.

The trio of righties off the bench in Keon Broxton, Juan Lagares, and Travis d’Arnaud have been abysmal at the plate this week—albeit all in small samples. Both Broxton and d’Arnaud went hitless this week in eleven and nine plate appearances, respectively. d’Arnaud drew one walk. Juan Lagares had three hits—all singles—in twelve plate appearances and scored two runs.

The only bench player that has performed well and continues to perform well is Dominic Smith, who had a hit and two walks in six plate appearances this week, good for a 140 wRC+. When Todd Frazier comes back, it seems obvious that the Mets will send down a reliever, but once Jed Lowrie returns further down the line, the Mets will have a tough decision to make. It’s been difficult to find Dominic Smith at-bats, despite his good production at the plate and the fact that both he and Pete Alonso are first basemen only complicates things from a roster construction perspective. However, the Mets continue to carry two light-hitting right-handed outfielders who are giving them next to nothing at the plate. While both Smith and J.D. Davis have options, Broxton does not have options and Lagares has more than five years of major league service time and so can refuse a minor league assignment. It will be interesting to see who the Mets prioritize as bench bats as the regulars continue to produce for the most part, but the pinch hitting options leave something to be desired.