Yes it’s the spring, and yes Nick Evans will probably not keep up this pace…
But, in the unlikely event that he does, what should the Mets do?
Including todays game, a 10-5 win over the Marlins, Nick Evans now leads the team with ten runs batted in.
Evans is now batting .325 with an on-base percentage of .400 and a .600 slugging percentage. That gives you an incredible OPS of 1.000 in 40 at-bats. He has also walked five times against just six strikeouts. He has two homers in his last 6 games, one of them a grand slam on Monday against the Orioles.
Last month, USA Today included Nick Evans in their “100 Names You Need To Know” list:
Nick Evans, OF/1B, Mets: Evans, 23, can play first base and the outfield. At 6-3, 210, he has consistently improved at the plate and demonstrated reasonable power. Evans has 44 homers in his last three minor league seasons. A right-handed hitter, he’ll likely serve as a backup to first baseman Carlos Delgado and could end up battling Dan Murphy for playing time in left field.
Last season in AA Binghamton, Evans batted .311/.365/.435 with 14 homeruns and 53 RBI in 296 at-bats. He got off to a slow start when the Mets first called him up, but batted a solid .290 over his final 69 at-bats.
I can’t see a situation where the Mets would keep Evans as a utility infielder/outfielder to start the season. They will most likely look at the big picture and let the 23 year old improve his skills at Buffalo in 2009 and hope that he can be the heir apparent to Carlos Delgado in 2010.
However, if he continues his torrid pace at the plate this spring, it will be awfully difficult to resist the temptation to keep him.
