2020 Mets King of Spring Training: Final poll

Due to circumstances beyond all of our control, spring training was cut short this year. Coronavirus has robbed us of many things and may ultimately rob us of baseball entirely this year. But gosh darn it, we’re not going to let it rob us of our fun, silly internet traditions.

KoST is all about the spirit of small sample sizes, right? So this year, they’ll just be extra small. Let us review the candidates and crown a KoST* champion.

* It feels like everything in 2020 is just going to have an asterisk next to it.

Eduardo Nunez - .321/.387/.464 in 28 ABs

Nunez was the best performer with the bat in this field of candidates, hitting successfully over the largest sample (which isn’t saying much in this case, but it’s what we have to work with). Three of Nunez’s nine hits this spring went for extra bases, including a triple. He walked three times and drove in five runs. With Jed Lowrie continuing to wear a knee brace in spring up until the point spring training games were suspended, Nunez seemed like a lock to make the Opening Day roster.

KoST points: 4

Total KoST points: 8

Johneshwy Fargas - .276/.300/.483 in 29 ABs

Fargas dropped off precipitously since our first KoST update, but hitting for the cycle still counts for a lot when there are now very few other highlights to speak of during this abbreviated spring training. He did also double his stolen base total from three to six since our last update, which by far leads the team; no one else stole more than two bases this spring.

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 7

Patrick Mazeika - .417/.500/.917 in 12 ABs

Mazeika is docked a little bit for having the smallest sample in the field of small samples, but it’s still hard to argue with five hits—three doubles, a single, and a home run—in 12 at-bats with two walks and two runs scored in 11 games. And it’s still fun and very much in the spirit of this contest to have a catcher pretty far down on the depth chart of catchers in the system be a standout spring training performer. These days, Mazeika can be found playing Toy Story Monopoly with Jeff McNeil and Daniel Zamora as the players all wait in limbo during these uncertain times.

KoST points: 3

Total KoST points: 6

Andres Gimenez - .214/.290/.393 in 28 ABs

We now enter a part of the field whose batting lines have deteriorated since our first update, but are still worthy of mentions for the good numbers they put up early in spring training. Plus, beggars can’t be choosers at this point when it comes to such a limited KoST contest. While Gimenez’s overall line may be nothing to write home about, there were flashes of hope of him returning to the prospect status he once held, including one of the more majestic bombs hit by a Met in spring training this year. He also worked out three walks and struck out only twice in his 28 at-bats this spring, potentially a good sign of plate selectivity from the young shortstop.

KoST points: 2

Total KoST points: 6

Max Moroff - .217/.357/.304 in 23 ABs

The non-roster invitee infielder got off to a fast start this spring, but skidded after that, going hitless since our last update. However, his five walks this spring lead this field of KoST candidates and the team as a whole.

KoST points: 1

Total KoST points: 4

Jarrett Parker - .222/.323/.444 in 27 ABs

Believe it or not, there is only one Met this spring to hit more than one home run and his name is not Pete Alonso. It’s Jarrett Parker. His two home runs represent a third of his six hits this spring and his only two RBIs. He also struck out 13 times, which leads the team along with Ryan Cordell, our final KoST candidate. Other than Johneshwy Fargas, Parker is also the only player to steal more than one base this spring.

KoST points: 1

Total KoST points: 3

Ryan Cordell - .270/.289/.378 in 37 ABs

Cordell is the only player in this field who was not mentioned in the initial KoST post, but he absolutely still deserves a shout-out for accumulating the most at-bats (37) of anyone on the team, including the regulars. Pete Alonso also logged 37 at-bats before spring training’s untimely demise, but no one else even came particularly close. Unsurprisingly, for that reason, he leads the KoST candidates in hits with ten, including a home run. He did, however, also strike out a whopping 13 times this spring. It was clear that the Mets were giving Cordell a nice long look and he impressed both with the bat and in the field, perhaps making him a dark horse to see playing time in the big leagues this season.

KoST points: 3

Total KoST points: 3

Dearest Amazin’ Avenue community: Who is your 2020 King of Spring Training*?

*Abridged