Yoenis Cespedes booed after striking out in the 8th inning, USA Today
Well, that happened rather quickly. I think Mets fans took longer to boo Bobby Bonilla and Jason Bay than they did for Yoenis Cespedes. The same player who helped carry the Mets into the postseason last year, Cespedes has gone from a conquering hero to getting loudly booed after just four regular season games.
Cespedes went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and stranded Asdrubal Cabrera in scoring position twice as the Mets lost 1-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, and he is now hitting .125 (2-for-16) with seven strikeouts to begin the season.
Slow start yes, but way too early to start riding the guy. Part of this is due to the unrealistic expectations by fans. Cespedes came to the Mets last August, and he hit .287/.337/.604 with 17 homeruns and 44 RBI in just 57 games. Every time he stepped to the plate last season, you expected magic.
“I’m not worried at all,” Cespedes told reporters after the game. “It’s just a timing issue, I think. Over time, when the games start kicking in, everything will settle in.” (MLB.com)
Whether Mets fans admit it or not, they’re expecting [or desperately hoping] for more of the same this year. Unfortunately the law of averages say it’s not going to happen. Cespedes is a career .270/.319/.484 hitter and prior to 2015 he averaged 24 homeruns and 81 RBI. On top of that, he’s a career .234/.298/.477 hitter at Citi Field.
What Cespedes did in his first four weeks with the Mets was virtually unprecedented and historic, much like Daniel Murphy‘s performance in the NLDS and NLCS. To hold Cespedes to that standard is totally unfair and unrealistic. Similarly, Cespedes’ struggles so far this season is also not going to continue for the next six months.
There is no doubt Cespedes has had a rough start to the season. On his first play of the season, he dropped an easy out giving many flashbacks to the inside-the-park homerun created by his lackadaisical play in center. At the plate, he has not been good, and at times, he has appeared over-matched. With all that said, Mets fans have an awfully short leash if they’re starting to boo him after a handful of games.
Yes, it is too soon to boo him. However, it is not too soon to be concerned. “I think he’s chasing out of the zone a little too much,” manager Terry Collins explained. “But we certainly think he might duplicate what he did last year when it starts to get a little warmer.”
Last year, Cespedes removed himself from Game Four of the NLCS with an aggravated AC joint. With the shoulder injury, Cespedes would hit just .150/.143/.150 with six strikeouts in what was for him a forgettable World Series.
During Spring Training, Cespedes felt a twinge in the same shoulder. Additionally, he dealt with a sore hip. These two issues caused Cespedes to only miss one game. However, Cespedes was dealing with some injuries that could affect his ability to make solid contact. In fact, he’s one of a few players in baseball who has yet to have one hard-hit ball this season.
Another issue that could be affecting Cespedes is his approach at the plate. Hitting Coach Kevin Long worked with Cespedes to focus on driving the ball up the middle and the other way rather than pulling the ball as ferociously as he did with the Mets last year.
They are also trying to get him to layoff those high fastballs which did him on Saturday night. He has looked lost or crossed up at the plate, but that will change.
“If we get him to stop chasing a little bit, I think he’ll start squaring some balls up,” Collins said about his slugger’s early struggles.
So no, it is not time to boo Cespedes. It is way too soon in the season for that. Sure there’s some early concerns, but almost the entire team is in a funk as their .192 batting average would attest. We have a great team with elite pitching and a potent lineup and once everything starts clicking the Mets will be unstoppable. Sit tight and relax… The season is only four games old.
