Updated by Joe D. on 2/28

I bet this will get some of you excited about the outfield situation…

Jordany Valdespin, who is now batting .455 in Grapefruit League play, after two more singles tonight, is suddenly back in the spotlight thanks to his sizzling start.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reported that the talented, but often misunderstood utility player “could get a look in the outfield” according to manager Terry Collins.

So far, ‘Spin has been getting all of his playing time at second base mostly because Daniel Murphy (strained muscle) has been sidelined and still about a week from returning to action.

New kid on the block, Daniel Nelson has been very high on Valdespin and maybe he was onto something…

Original Posted by Daniel Nelson on 2/24

As some of you might know from my previous articles, I’m a Jordany Valdespin fan. The Mets’ intrasquad game and first Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals have only solidified my fandom.

Okay, okay. Maybe I wouldn’t necessarily have dinner with the guy, but are the Mets paying him to be a guy that you want to have dinner with? I don’t think so.

In the past two days, Valdespin has gone 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Not a bad way to start.

Yeah, maybe he’s incompetent when it comes to social media, but we should all cut the guy some slack. He’s only 25 after all. I’ve made more questionable decisions this weekend alone than he seems to have made in his entire career.

I know what you’re thinking, “But Dan, you’re not being paid millions of dollars to represent professional sports franchise.”

True. I’m not. Like I said though, are the Mets paying Valdespin to be an ambassador for the Mets? Not really. That’s why we have David Wright. The Mets pay, or should be paying, Valdespin to hit baseballs really hard and not embarrass himself in the outfield. I could care less what he does with his personal life. As long as he shows up and plays well, he’s met my expectations.

What I’m getting at is Valdespin is a key player in 2013. We’ve already seen some upside with the other outfielders. Albeit it’s incredibly early to be making educated opinions, the outfield doesn’t look as bad as everyone’s made it out to be. Those kinds of issues always come about during the offseason. All anyone can do is talk. Things tend to be overanalyzed. I think what we’ve seen in the last two days paints a clearer picture than anything anyone has written about over the offseason.

There will be healthy competition for playing time in the outfield. If Valdespin plays the way he has, he could be our best outfielder. He’s versatile. He has the speed to hit leadoff, pop to hit in the middle of the lineup and the ability to come off the bench and pinch hit effectively. He might piss off a few people along the way, but he is who he is.

With that being said, it’s just good to be watching baseball again. It’s good to hear Gary, Ron and Keith. It’s good to see the Mets win and it’s great to be a Mets fan.

What are your thoughts on what you’ve seen so far?

Alumni members of the New York Mets

Major League Baseball and Natural Balance Pet Foods hosted the 23rd annual “Going to Bat for B.A.T.” Fundraising Dinner on Jan. 24 at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square.

The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) raises money to assist members of the baseball family who have fallen on hard times with financial grants, healthcare programs and rehabilitative counseling.

This year’s dinner celebrated the 50th anniversary of our beloved New York Mets. Notable Mets alumni were on hand for the festivities, including players from the World Champion teams of 1969 and 1986, some original 1962 Mets and of course many others in between.

Additionally, the event is always well attended by Hall of Famers, specifically the following: Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Ralph Kiner, Goose Gossage, Juan Marichal, Joe Morgan, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Gaylord Perry, Mike Schmidt, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver and Willie Mays.

Mays created a buzz after joking that he remembered who dinner emcee and Mets great Ron Darling actually was.

“You won 12 games once so that’s fine,” Mays said with a smile to Darling.

On a more somber note, Darling and former Mets broadcaster Gary Thorne shared their memories of the great Gary Carter after a touching video tribute. Everyone in attendance was encouraged to keep “The Kid” in their prayers.

Each year, B.A.T. invites a player affected by the organization’s outreach to speak at the dinner. Former relief pitcher Ricky Stone, who overcame a brain tumor, spoke with his wife, who is an ovarian cancer survivor. Both have been an inspiration and have been able to thrive due to B.A.T.’s support.

Other award winner included former Met Carlos Beltran and Baltimore Orioles young center fielder Adam Jones—both of whom have played an active role in their communities.

Stay tuned for an individual post on Beltran as well as random thoughts from many Mets in attendance.

Click here to view a photo slideshow from the event.