J.D. Davis
Player Data: Age 27, B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 56 G, 229 PA, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 31 BB, 56 SO, .247 BA, .371 OBP, .389 SLG, .761 OPS
Advanced Stats: .318 BABIP, .339 wOBA, 117 wRC+, 112 OPS+, 0.5 fWAR, 0.1 bWAR, -9 DRS, -5 OAA
Free Agent: 2025
2020 Salary: $592,463
Grade: C+
2020 Review:
When J.D. Davis came to New York from the Astros, not many knew what to expect as he only had 113 plate appearances in Houston, where he hit below the Mendoza line with a .175 batting average.
In 2019, the third baseman turned outfielder hit .307/.369/.527 with a batting average of .355 with balls in play, yet his fielding was almost painful to watch as he struggled defensively.
Going into 2020, expectations were high for the 27-year-old offensively, but he ended up taking a step back. Davis slashed .247/.371/.389, which was an obvious deterioration from the previous season.
However, he did bat .400 with the bases loaded and .375 in late and close game situations, which the Mets desperately needed as they struggled to translate hits into runs for the majority of the season.
Despite the decline in some areas, he still hit the ball hard (80% more than the rest of the MLB), made good contact with a BABIP of .318, and had better plate discipline than expected, walking in the 84th percentile of players.
Davis’ defensive statistics are sub-par, to say the least. While he may be a third baseman by trade, it was his weakest placement in 2020 as the California native had a -8 DRS at third and a -2 DRS as an outfielder.
While he had a few clean plays at third throughout the season, he tended to hesitate and bobbled the ball more than most.
Davis’ fWAR went from a solid 2.4 in 2019 to 0.5 in 2020, showing that while he didn’t do anything to really hurt the Mets much during the season, he didn’t really add much value either.
2020 Key Moment
While Davis didn’t have as dominant of a 2020 season as he would have hoped, there were still some clutch, tip of the cap moments. One of which was this two-run bomb which brought the team to a victory against the Red Sox.
2021 Outlook
Luis Rojas has explained that the status of who will be playing third base is up in the air for 2021. With that knowledge, it’s hard to say if Davis would fit in well with next season’s roster when both his bat and fielding have been lacking. Davis could be used as a trade piece, alongside players such as Brandon Nimmo and Amed Rosario.
If he does end up staying, Davis could see some playing time at either third base or left field, although it is unclear if he would be an everyday player. Depending on the other offseason additions the Mets make, Davis could be utilized as a right-handed power bat off the bench.
Hopefully, Davis will also continue doing the Cookie Club with Dom Smith (as that was a fan favorite) and continue to be a good presence in the Mets clubhouse.
