Responding to team reports that he could have hit nine more home runs last season with these new Citi Field dimensions, Curtis Granderson said he isn’t interested in playing “the would’ve, could’ve game.”
The Mets right fielder told Anthony McCarron of the Daily News that he doesn’t intend to change his approach. “There’ll be no adjustments because of the dimensions,” Granderson said in a phone interview.
Granderson said he’s already preparing for his second season as a Met and that he may go visit new hitting coach Kevin Long if it fits both their schedules. He disagreed with what Long said last week about the pressure of his 4-year, $60 million contract impacting his numbers last season.
“I don’t think the contract did,” Granderson said. “I think the change from this year to now − playing (roughly) 50 games to playing (155) games. Baseball’s funny − you have to play to fine-tune your craft, and when you’re injured, that takes away from it. Pitchers were outperforming me. I tip my hat to them.”
Granderson is confident that he can improve on his .227 batting average next season as well as the 20 homers. “If you hit it, it’ll go. It’s all about getting consistent. Put yourself into a position to attack.”
