19
2013
Duda Starts Hitting Off A Tee, Feels Great
An article by 
Updated by Joe D. on 1/20
Projected left fielder Lucas Duda, who underwent November 5th surgery to repair a fractured right wrist, has started hitting off a tee in his native California.
“It’s going well, feels great,” Duda told ESPN New York on Sunday.
Duda expects no difficulties with the wrist during spring training.
Well here’s some good news…
Original Post 1/18
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Lucas Duda’s surgically repair wrist is healthy, and he will head to Port St. Lucie next week to join Dave Hudgens for early workouts, a
Duda is a work in progress and with no improvements expected in the outfield, the Mets are making him one of the top projects in Spring Training with Hudgens expected to work extensively with Duda as they look to improve his approach at the plate.
Thoughts from John Delcos
The Mets became enamored with Duda’s power potential when he hit 10 homers in 100 games in 2011. But things soured for Duda last year to the point where he was sent to the minor leagues to work on his mechanics and approach at the plate, and he wasn’t happy about it.
Duda played in only 121 games, with 105 in right field where he committed four errors and showed limited range. Offensively, he hit 15 homers with 57 RBI, both well below what the Mets were hoping for. Perhaps Duda’s most significant offensive stat was his 120-51 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. That’s an awful lot of nothing.
At 27 years old, Duda is no longer a prospect. 2013 will be a make or break season for Duda who will replace Jason Bay will be the everyday left fielder for the Mets.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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Agreed. At 500K Luke is cheap filler. In 2014 he is in his first year of arbitration. I would like to see Sandy lock him up for 4 years 6 million deal. Luke is filler pay him as such.
“The outfield is a joke”.
– Matt Cerrone, Executive Editor Metsblog.com
This season could MAKE him but I doubt it breaks him….
The question is will his bat be enough to give him more options to be a value at more than just 1B.
They threw so many lefties at us last year it’s no wonder our two power hitting Lefties struggled with the BA.
And lets be honest here…The questions on Davis and Duda is all about the BA not the power…Duda led the team in HRs somewhere around the time he got sent down….
15 HRs in 121 games projects to 20 Hrs for a full season…If what is largely considered a down year for him…
If he gets those 20 Hrs or more and gets his BA up above .260 he will continue to have an MLB Career….
Maybe not as a LFer but certainly as a 1B someplace.
The only thing that requires him to do much more would be to stay as a LFer because the fielding requires more bat than that to live with the jurt he puts into LF.
You say he will be the everyday Right fielder for the Mets. Should be Left fielder.
“It’s A Make Or Break Season For Duda”
I think that is a fair statement.
This guy really tears it up in September can we pay him 1/6th of his salary and call it even.
I still believe in Duda, I think he has to return to his old approach taking the ball to left field. We know he can take the ball out of the park, he just has to adjust as the league has adjusted to him. I saw him, as well as Davis and Capt Kirk chase balls on the outside corner, that should have been spit on or chalked up as a good pitch if called a strike. Duda has to make pitchers throw him strikes, be patient, & drive the ball to left. 25+ hrs from Duda, 15+ from Cpat Kirk, and 40 from Ike would really be nice!
I think we only got three hrs, runs from the catching position last year. If that is now 23 we will win about 4 to 5 more games. If we fix the bullpen we can save about 10 more games. If Dickey’s replacement wins 10 games we are 79 win team. Maybe. Oh Hairston’s 20 hrs we must replace without a doubt.
The Mets are counting on him big time.
He has to play, he has one full season and he was sent down, how long did it take Headley or Jose Batista to break out, hopefully we see major improvements this year.
Hitting off a Tee?
I guess they feel he was ready to advance and skip the easy step of having Pelfrey pitch to him….
I do not believe that Duda is the answer in the outfield but lets see how it works out in spring training the Mets love his bat now if he could improve his fielding we might have something,only time will tell.