18
2013
Nieuwenhuis Running Out Of Time
An article by 
With two weeks to go before Opening Day, Kirk Nieuwenhuis should be thinking about where he would live in New York rather than Las Vegas.
Nieuwenhuis, who made a strong first impression with the Mets last year, came to camp penciled in as the center fielder and first in line to win the leadoff spot. However, a hitless streak at the start of the exhibition schedule punctuated with a rash of strikeouts followed by a deep bone bruise on his left knee made this a washout spring.
It should be fun for a young player competing for a starting job.“Fun?’’ Nieuwenhuis asked. “It should have been fun, but it’s no fun spending time in the trainer’s room. It’s no fun when you can’t get onto the field. This has been a very frustrating time.’’
Nieuwenhuis was injured two weeks ago, and yesterday participated in batting practice and outfield drills. Once he runs the bases, he’ll be cleared to play, but it will be a minor league game.
Perhaps early this week Nieuwenhuis will get in a game, but Collin Cowgill has already leaped past him as well as Jordany Valdespin. Matt den Dekker also made a strong impression defensively, and still has a chance to make the team if he finishes with a hot two weeks with the bat.
Nieuwenhuis doesn’t say it, but despite his youth and inexperience, he’s smart enough to know the score. All he has to do is look at the stat sheet and compare his at-bats to Cowgill’s. Fans think spring training stats don’t matter, but players know better.
“I haven’t seen a lot of pitches,’’ Nieuwenhuis said in about as direct an admission that he’ll open the season at Triple-A Las Vegas. “You need at-bats in spring training. You need repetition, and I haven’t gotten them.’’
Nieuwenhuis was brought up early last season after Andres Torres was injured and got two hits in his first game. Then he rattled off a seven-game hitting streak. Three times he had three hits in a game and at the end of April was hitting .325 with a .386 on-base percentage.
Nieuwenhuis remained productive in May – hitting .294 at the end of the month – and carried it into June and was emerging as an early Rookie of the Year candidate hitting .297 while playing a near flawless center field.
However, by the middle of the month, pitchers started figuring him out and his average plummeted. Anybody can hit fastballs, but Nieuwenhuis was having trouble with breaking balls and off-speed stuff and his strike zone widened for pitchers, who didn’t have to be so fine.
Nieuwenhuis sustained a hand injury in July and at the end of the month was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, where he injured his foot and was lost for the remainder of the season.
At the time of his demotion, Nieuwenhuis was down to .252 with a .315 on-base percentage, and in 282 at-bats had more strikeouts (98) than hits (71).
Although general manager Sandy Alderson had his apprehensions with Nieuwenhuis, his early success last year coupled with the Mets’ wide-open outfield situation, enabled him to come to camp with a fresh start and high expectations.
“Strikeouts are acceptable to a point,’’ Alderson said. “If a player has a high on-base percentage and produces a lot of runs, you can take the strikeouts.’’
Nieuwenhuis got off to a slow start this spring with only one hit and seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats. He was quickly removed from the leadoff spot as manager Terry Collins searched for other options, including Valdespin and Cowgill.
“I know the strikeouts have been a problem,’’ Nieuwenhuis said. “I don’t want to strike out. I need to put the ball in play. Seeing pitches is very important, and you get that through repetition.’’
And, you don’t see pitches when you’re not on the field.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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He batted .115 in his last 22 games last season (.080 in his last 12) and considering he was hitting .056 in ST before he got injured…I’d say he has zero chance of coming up north with the team…but considering how rancid this roster is, anything is possible.
Ok, if not him, who are the replacements and/or OF we have that are considerably better than him????
They have no one “considerably better.” They are all about equally awful. I just hope Byrd is back on PEDs.
I foresee him in Vegas simply because he does not have enough time to get back into game shape. Things might be different if he was hitting well before the injury but a 1 for 15 (or whatever it was) isnt going to cut it.
What I find interesting is that Den Dekker is still in camp. I think they are taking a long hard look at him.
Since signing any free-agent to help our pitching staff in the OF was not a priority…
2013 really should be about grooming our defense and having the kids learn how to hit both left and right handed pitching.
No more platooning, that just stunts development…and makes 2014 harder than it should be…
if the phillies had platooned Ryan Howard b/c he stinks vs left handed pitchers, he would still be a platoon player now
In 2004, he stunk vs LHP
In 2005, he stunk vs LHP
In 2006, he got it together
Ryan Howard averages 44 home runs in a healthy season and had 39 ABs in 2004. That’s your comparison to Kirk frickin Nieuwenhuis? Not to mention Howard’s a career .227 against LHP so he doesn’t really have it
…doesn’t really have it ALL together.
well like the rest he’s just not that good.
Damaja, i get what you’re saying here, give the kid at bats against lefties, it’s the proper way to go about it, but i don’t think using howard in the same sentence with kirk helps your case…
They both do strike out a lot.
that’s where the conversation should end right? different players…. Howard is about 19347546746584 better than kirk…
I would think so but then again, I didnt try to make the comparison.
Not a chance Kirk makes the OD roster. Way too little time in ST, and what he showed was needing a lot more time to get ready! He will enjoy some time in Vegas.
Most likely, Spin has won the LH split job over Kirk. Unless he is the starting 2B with Murphy out.
but, if they are going to treat this eyar as a learning experiment to get guys ABs to try and get over the hump, give them to MDD. at least he has been showing the ability to play high end D out in CF.
There really is little choice but to send Nieuwenhaus to Vegas. The Mets will likely carry five outfielders. Duda will start in leftfield. Valdespin and Cowgill will platoon in center with Byrd playing almost every day in rightfield and Baxter in the hole. Spin gives some outfield/infield versatility, especially with the injuries to Wright and Turner. I hope they keep him in an outfield position and let him show what he can do in that position. The Mets can’t afford to keep denDecker on the major league club as a defensive option. He has too much long term every day outfield value and needs at bats. A looming question: Will Zack Lutz make the team as a third base/first base option, at least while Wright and Turner rehab?
Turner is due to play this week so he will most likely be the starting 3B when the season opens.
Trade bait.
Dude, every time I turn around your trading Kirk. Give the kid a chance.
j/k
.AAAA player.
I was hoping that MDD and Capt.Kirk would hit this spring,both of them need to see more playing time to find themselves and to keep them on the opening roster this year and have them sit on the bench and come in as a defensive replacement will not help them become an offensive threat.Let them both open the season in Las Vegas and take it from there.With in a couple of months we will know if the current outfield of Duda Cowgrill and Byrd will be there for the long haul,time will tell and the Mets still need to get spin into the lineup as well.