Just when it looked as if things couldn’t get bleaker for the Mets, Neil Walker rescued them Sunday afternoon with a two-run, ninth-inning homer.
It wasn’t the first time Walker picked up the Mets by the scruff of the neck this season, and it made me wonder if Walker will be around to save them in 2017. He’s free to leave after this season and there’s been no word on what the Mets’ plans are, but Walker is starting to feel right at home he told Kristie Ackert of the Daily News.
“I’d never lived in New York, I wasn’t sure what that was going to be like. I wasn’t sure how I would handle all the media and everything that goes with a big market team.
“But, honestly, it’s been great. I couldn’t be happier with everything. I’ve enjoyed the change. I love my teammates, the coaches and all the people here. I could not be more excited about this team and it’s future.”
The Mets were lucky to get him from Pittsburgh after Daniel Murphy left last winter. Ben Zobrist was their first choice, but they were never going to afford him. GM Sandy Alderson let Murphy walk for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which was budding phenom and second baseman of the future Dilson Herrera. Well, Herrera now is in Cincinnati’s farm system.
If they let Walker go as they did Murphy, they will be forced to find a second baseman. Will they go outside? Will it be Wilmer Flores, whom they never want to give a fair chance? Will it be Jose Reyes? Will they bring back Kelly Johnson or try Matt Reynolds?
Whoever they choose, it’s unlikely he’ll match Walker’s production, which will become even more important should Yoenis Cespedes opt out and leave. That would be roughly 55 homers and 180 RBI they’d need to replace. What Walker did Sunday is to remind us how important he has been to the Mets and the fragility of their offense.
As has been the case with the Mets a lot lately, the game boiled down to the late innings. Manager Terry Collins pulled Jacob deGrom with the bases loaded, two outs and a one-run lead in the seventh, but Jerry Blevins couldn’t keep Detroit from tying the game and the Mets were in danger of being swept and falling further behind in the wild-card race.
However, the Tigers ran themselves out of the eighth inning to set up Walker’s 19th homer, a drive well into the right-field seats that carried the Mets to a 3-1 victory.
After a sizzling April, Walker went into a dismal slump, but he regained his stroke after the All-Star break and took a .489 stretch (22-for-45) into the game. With Cespedes basically a non-entity since early July, Walker has kept the Mets afloat; he has three homers and nine RBI over his last dozen games.
Walker approached his at-bat against Francisco Rodriguez wanting to get a fastball early and stay away from the closer’s put-away changeup.
“You hope he leaves something up in the zone and that’s what I got,” Walker said. “With most closers you want to get to them early in the count because they have a devastating out pitch.”
Considering the Mets’ overall lack of prowess hitting with RISP and their injuries, one shudders to think where they would be without Walker. For one thing, it’s doubtful they would be three games over .500.
Walker has been crucial to the Mets’ hanging around, and as dismal as they have played, they are one good week from getting a foothold in the wild card race. They are currently nine games behind Washington in the NL East, so that boat is pulling out of the harbor. Still, the wild card is possible, as they trail the second slot by just 1.5 games.
Ackert spoke to a team source who said that with Herrera gone, the Mets would “make a good run” at trying to re-sign Walker – who said the Mets have not approached him about the future, but he’s very open to the idea.
“When I say I am excited about the future here, I don’t just mean what I think we can still do this season,” Walker said. “I like the players we have here, I like what I think we are building for this season and for years to come. I’d like to be a part of it.”
Like Murphy last offseason. Walker will be the top offensive second baseman this Winter. But unlike Murphy, Walker can actually field his position adequately and he has stabilized the team’s infield defense. How should the Mets play this? Letting him walk seems like a bad idea right now. And I’n not sure any of our internal options have half the upside and ceiling Dilson Herrera had.
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