11
2011
Expect Duda To Be Your Opening Day Right Fielder In 2012
An article by Craig Lerner
A few days ago I wrote about Lucas Duda possibly playng a big role for the Mets in 2012 and beyond. Terry Collins spoke about that future today after the game. In a blog post by Adam Rubin, Collins sounds like Duda will be his everyday right fielder next season, and he really wants to get him more playing time and reps in the outfield.
“Sandy and I talked about getting him back in right field, and today would have been an opportunity because we could have put Nick at first,” Collins said. “You know, (Duda’s) just playing so well, and I just hate to disrupt — especially a young player — and move him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…The worst-case scenario, at the end of this year we say, ‘Hey, look, we’ve got to get him ready for the outfield,’ I’ll send him to the instructional league for two weeks. Let him go down there and get fly balls every day.”
Duda has no problem with that:
Said Duda: “I’ll play wherever — right field or first base. I feel a little more comfortable at first. I’ve been playing there more often. Right field is a work in progress still, but anywhere that’s going to get me at-bats.”
So there you go – Lucas Duda and Jason Bay will be bookends in the outfield next season. Okay, next question – who plays center field?
Original Post: Lucas Duda Will Play A Big Role For Mets Moving Forward
I started writing this post sometime Sunday night, when I learned that Daniel Murphy had torn his MCL and was done for the rest of this season. I thought about how the Mets were going to handle first base moving forward with two months left to play in the season. I figured we would see a little bit of Nick Evans of course, but that the lion’s share of the playing time would probably fall to that lovable, lumbering, ox named Lucas Duda.
Ironically, Duda was supposed to be Plan B for replacing the now departed right fielder Carlos Beltran, but things always have a way of changing quickly when it comes to the New York Mets. There’s always someone being scheduled for an MRI, or getting a cortisone shot, or hitting the disabled list.
The question on most Mets fans minds was how would Duda respond to the pressure of replacing Daniel Murphy who had become one of the key players in that clubhouse, and would Duda be able to provide the Mets with some thump in the lineup now that they had lost one of their most valuable bats?
Last night, Duda answered those questions and addressed any concerns in the bottom of the ninth inning with a majestic swing of his mighty bat in a dramatic 9-8 walk-off victory over the San Diego Padres for the Never Say Die Mets. In case you missed it, you can relive the moment again right here!
Lucas Duda delivered a huge two-run single with one out in the ninth, to score David Wright who slid home with the winning run. It was without a doubt the biggest hit in Duda’s young professional career. Oh and the best part was that this came at the expense of Padres closer and former Met, Heath Bell. Duda finished the game 3-for-5.
Manager Terry Collins was gushing after the game, ”You can tell the confidence is building in him when you’re around him. This guy doesn’t have very much to say, as you guys know. He doesn’t say much. He’s starting to talk now.” The guy is a gentle giant and he does all his talking with his bat.
The Mets drafted Duda with their seventh round pick in the 2007 Draft. He’s never been considered a toolsy outfielder or even a top prospect for that matter, but he’s always swung a solid bat at every level of the minors and his power kept increasing along the way. As a matter of fact, prior to his call-up, Duda was leading the International League with a .414 on-base percentage and in 157 plate appearances he had already racked up 10 home runs and 24 RBIs while batting .303 and posting a 1.011 OPS.
Duda’s coming out party came last season when he put together a tremendous campaign over two levels of the minors and finished with a .304/.398/.569 slash line in 495 plate appearances. In the course of 115 games played in 2010, Duda smacked 40 doubles and 23 home runs while driving in 87 runs. It was very impressive to say the least and a portent of good things to come for him in the future.
His power is legit, his bat is consistent, and he’s getting acclimated very quickly to the major leagues. In his last 24 games he’s batting .344/.425/.623. He’s going to be a very important piece of the Mets puzzle in 2012 and could be a fixture in the middle of the Mets order for years to come.
But, for now, let’s just relish the moment and be thankful he was in the right place and at the right time last night as the Mets continue to rebound from every adversity that fate has thrown their way.
Great game – great moment – great at-bat by Lucas Duda!
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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I dont see Duda becoming anything more than a part time OF/1B/DH type player. For some reason Omar Minaya loved these unathletic players with poor defensive skills because the Mets system is full of them.
yeah, like hu and eamus right.. be consistent bro..
To ask someone to be consistent, you need to know the meaning of the word.
He has looked more athletic at 1b than Murphy and has yet to have a mental lapse so he will be better right now at 1b than RF.
My concern is why is Harris still on team playing RF or even PH cause he is lousy.
It is either a strikeout or pop out. I would rather have Hairston out there than him.
Yeah big Dude’s defensive problems are primarily speed and range, but he can handle the glove a little. His footwork around first has to be better than Murphy’s, and he’s better suited there than in the OF, so let’s see what the big dude can do. At the very least, by playing well, his stock will continue to rise and he will be worth more in a trade package for some young arms.
Speaking of impending injuries, did any one notice that when Wright slid in head first on the winning run that his head collided (very slightly fortunately) with the home plate umps’ knee? Boy wouldn’t that be just a typical Met injury, star player gets concussion while scoring winning run by head butting umpires knee!
Now to Duda, when you say he’ll play a “big” role, did you mean literally or figuratively? Could be literal when you consider he’s 6’5″ and about 240 lbs! LOL Congrats to the “Big Dude” on his game winner last night. He seems to be coming around a bit with regular PT. If he could ever tap into that enormous power……..
Yes i noticed that. It was another unnecessary head first slide and not just by Wright cuz Jose does it all the time.
It seems the art of sliding has been lost in MLB. You see less and less of the good ‘ol feet first slide or the hook slide – both which are the best way to do it. Now we have guys doing head first slides when there’s no play and players not even sliding! We see that much more than we ever did in the past. It’s as if the whole concept of basic fundamentals is being lost in MLB and it’s not good. I don’t want to hear Bud Selig talk about the financial state of baseball (good or bad) or how baseball is expanding overseas – I don’t want to hear it. How about addressing the most pressing issues in baseball today and that’s how to play the game the right way by returning back to basic fundamentals and oh..hustling too!
Will Lenny Dykstra get ticked off if we just refer to Lucas Duda as “Dude”?
Cant wait to buy my post season tickets for 2012. Just kidding! Duda looks terrible in the games he’s played in RF and Pagan stinks in CF. It’s gonna be ugly out there next season.
Duda actually has an excellent arm, and with instruction can become an above average, though not outstanding defensive right fielder. As far as hitting, he has an excellent eye and could be a legitimate 30 home run, high on base percentage guy. Batting fifth behind Ike.
Put Turner at S/S if Reyes leaves. Murphy at 2nd,Duda RF. We have a good hitting team.
I think Duda will be a solid player 20-30 hrs with 90-100 rbi’s. The more he plays, the more comfortable he seems to become. Position is the thing and he should work on his outfield skills in the winter. If Davis is not 100% they already know he can handle first base. I would just like to see 3 or 4 good players come up through the system and be part of Wright, Reyes, Davis, Niese, & Thole.
Don’t overlook the psychology behind Terry Collins’ vote of confidence in Lucas Duda. His message to the other young METS is this: play hard, prove to me you want to improve, practice and get better, play hard at every opportunity and really want to become a MET, you too will have a position on this team! Lucas Duda may have been the subject of his comments but it was meant for all the Met ballplayers.
It all depends on what kind of team SA and Terry assemble.
I remember SA saying he wanted an offensive 2b, don’t know if he meant Murphy, but how he plans to fill out the roster going forward will be interesting.
Too bad about Cap Kirk getting hurt cause he was looking like the one to replace Pagan if he doesn’t improve his game.
I can’t really Quibble with the idea of Duda in RF but that still leaves the question of where is Murphy’s bat going to be used?
Wasn’t more than week ago that Terry was sayin he had to get Murphy to start looking for an OF glove…
I mean these are all great problems to have, Just wondering what we are going to do about them because Neither is CF and unless Bay gets traded We are running out of places to put these guys!
Yes, there has some talk about Pagan (he is owed more $) being traded. THen Bay would be asked to play CF and Murphy Left field.
Murphy, bay, duda OF alignment? I think every fly ball pitcher on the staff just had a heart attack.
Bay is the problem. If he goes, then LF is open for Duda, and they will need a strong defensive CF next to him. Even if it is Duda in RF (he really does have the arm for it) and Bay in LF they need to get a real ball hound for CF, even if it isn’t going to be a big bat.
Assuming they are getting offense out of 2B and SS, carrying a glove guy in CF is doable.
That assumes that we’re not also getting the leauges worst offensive production out of catcher, LF, RF? and SS (or 2B) too. Having 4 spots like that in your line plus another in CF would really kills our chances.
Pagan could be non tendered or traded in the off season bur I don’t see what the sense in that would be. He has been a terrific defender in Citi Field and has hit there too. I have no idea what happened to him this year but I would certainly bet on him in his walk year, let him go and hopefully get a supplemental round draft pick when he goes.
Believe it or not Pagan is listed right now, even in this down season as a type A free agent. With Kirk rehabbing after labrum surgery, a process that takes about a full year depending on the severity, and Den Dekker needing to lower that K rate (30%) in AA we might just a need a guy for one year. If he happens to be in his walk season all the better. Pridie can back him up, I don’t like Duda in RF but we don’t have a perfect team so we have to make some accomodations. Hairston if resigned and there’s nothing we can do with Bay would be our OF with Fern/Baxter in reserve.