Mets Player Performance Meter: Position players, August 19-25

While the pitching meter turned out pretty well this week, the position player outlook is...a lot less good. After completing the sweep of the Indians, the Mets struggled mightily to score runs in the Braves series—the chief reason for their downfall. The Mets posted a putrid 65 wRC+ as a team this week and even among the few players who performed well are small sample size phenomena.

The only Mets regular to really have a strong week with the bat was Wilson Ramos. He led the team in hits this week with eight and also led the team among players with double-digit plate appearances with a 130 wRC+. He drove in two runs and scored a run. He was even given credit for a stolen base! But this was generous on the part of the official scorer and should have arguably been designated as defensive indifference. He currently holds a 19-game hitting streak.

Ramos’ fellow catcher Tomas Nido had just two plate appearances this week, over which he went hitless. He was removed from Friday’s game after being struck in the head with Josh Donaldson’s backswing. He was placed on the concussion injured list and replaced on the roster by Rene Rivera, who went 0-for-3 with a walk yesterday.

Juan Lagares continues to really step it up, being given every day playing time in the absence of some of the Mets’ regulars. He was the only other player besides Ramos who had regular plate appearances this week who posted a wRC+ above 100 with a 113. Lagares also displayed a bit of pop this week—three of his five hits this week went for extra bases. He also walked four times, which leads the team. He scored a team-leading five runs and drove in a run.

Jeff McNeil had a triumphant return from the injured list on Saturday in which he collected two hits in his two at-bats. However, he went hitless in his return to the starting lineup yesterday in three at-bats. McNeil replaced the struggling Aaron Altherr on the roster. Altherr went hitless in two plate appearances before being designated for assignment.

Ruben Tejada’s return to the Mets lasted all of a week. He had just one plate appearance this week before being designated for assignment on Thursday in order for the Mets to call up an extra pitcher in Chris Flexen.

None of the Mets’ starting lineup outside of Ramos and Lagares fared particularly well this week. The worst performer of all was Todd Frazier, who posted just a 10 wRC+ over 22 plate appearances. Frazier collected three hits—all singles—walked twice, scored one run, and drove in one run.

It doesn’t get much better from here. Everyone else’s wRC+ is clustered in the 40s and 50s with varying levels of paltry production. The one standout among these is Pete Alonso, who avoids the down arrow only because he hit a historic home run this week that matched the Mets’ record for most home runs in a single season. It was a clutch home run too that gave the Mets a 5-4 lead over the Braves, which they held only briefly. Alonso does also lead the Mets in RBIs this week with five and has reached the 100 RBI mark for the season. However, he put up just a 47 wRC+ this week overall.

After the Braves series, J.D. Davis’ walk-off hit on Wednesday when the Mets came back from a deficit in the tenth feels like ages ago. But it did happen! It was pretty much the only highlight for Davis this week, who had just four hits this week, good for a .182 batting average. After being hot for weeks, Davis has finally cooled off to the tune of a 53 wRC+ for the week. He walked three times, stole a base, scored a run, and drove in three this week.

Speaking of cooling off, Joe Panik had a rough week after having some early success as a Met. Panik posted a 42 wRC+ over 23 plate appearances this week. All five of Panik’s hits this week were singles. He scored four runs and drove in two runs.

However, of all the Mets’ hitters, it is Amed Rosario who had the most dramatic shift from last week to this week. Rosario had been tearing the cover off the ball in the second half heading into this week. He did have seven hits this week, which is second to Ramos for the team lead. But just one of these hits went for extra bases, good for a 52 wRC+ for the week. That extra base hit was an important one, though. His double in the bottom of the tenth on Wednesday is what got the rally started that culminated in the walk-off victory. Rosario also walked once, scored three runs, and drove in two this week.

Michael Conforto has also continued to cool off after a so-so week last week. He contributed to the Mets’ lopsided victory over the Indians on Tuesday with a two-run homer off Shane Bieber that gave the Mets the lead, but did little else at the plate this week. He had five hits in all, walked once, scored three runs, and drove in three runs. He put up a 54 wRC+ over 26 plate appearances.

Luis Guillorme was a positive contributor off the bench for the Mets this week. He collected two hits and two walks in five plate appearances. One of those two hits—a double in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game—drove in a run, which ended up to be key in the Mets’ comeback victory.

Rajai Davis also returned to the Mets this week in a bench role. He had one hit in five plate appearances this week. It was an RBI double in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game that gave the Mets an insurance run. He also scored a run this week.