Mets centerfielder Juan Lagares is already recognized as a defensive star, making one highlight reel catch after another game after game, and earning his first Gold Glove last season.
However, Lagares is beginning to get a lot of attention for his vast improvement at the plate and is quickly developing into one of the best all-around players on the team.
Lagares has been very reliable at the plate this season, batting .312 with a team-high 29 base hits. He has had several key hits, ignited many a rally, and is a huge reason why the Mets are 16-9. “He knows he’s a good player,” said GM Sandy Alderson.
Much has been said about Lagares developing into a future star. During spring training, the Mets gave him a four year, $23 million dollar extension. He was challenged by Terry Collins to become a more patient hitter and Lagares responded with one of the top offensive performances in Mets camp.
It was presumed that Lagares earned himself an opportunity to open the season as the Mets leadoff hitter, but that never happened and he instead batted very low in the batting order.
It wasn’t until David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud got hurt, that Lagares was moved up to the key No.2 spot in the lineup and he has taken off ever since.
Lagares, 26, has often been compared to former Met and current Brewers two-time All Star, Carlos Gomez for their similar body type and approach at the plate.
Tim Rohan of the New York Times recently reported that Lagares, who has had a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone, has been putting in a lot of work with Kevin Long, the new Mets hitting coach.
The two have worked together daily and the results have been dramatic. Lagares now stands closer to the plate allowing him to cover more of the strike zone. He also has Lagares using a leg kick to help with the timing of his swing and give him some added power.
Rohan also adds that Mets assistant coach Pat Roessler has also worked extensively with Lagares. Before every game, Pat does a drill with Lagares, to train his eyes. what Roessler does is, he throws baseballs that are marked with a color, symbol or number. Lagares stands in the batters box and tracks all the balls without swinging at any of them. He calls out what he sees on the ball as it comes to him.
All these drills seems to be paying off. With two more hits on Saturday, Lagares has hit in all 13 home games this year, tying the club record for a hitting streak at home to begin a season. Lagares is hitting .359 (18-50) at Citi Field this year
He still isn’t drawing a lot of walks, but he’s chasing a lot less pitches now. Lagares has significantly increased his contact rate, and those pitches on the outside corner that he used to whiff on, he now drives them to the opposite field for base hits.
With all this success at the plate, Lagares has developed more confidence as a hitter. He’s hitting .304 with runners in scoring position and also .255 with two strikes. Both numbers are at least 40 points above the league average.
“He has the ability to make contact,” said Alderson. “Sometimes it’s a blessing, sometimes it’s a curse. If you’re chasing and still making contact, it doesn’t feel like you should lay off those pitches. When he gets two strikes, part of it is mechanics. He has a very level swing; his bat stays through the zone a long time.”
What fuels Lagares’s confidence even more is his stellar defense. One example came in Friday’s game. Lagares struck out on a low pitch out of the strike zone to end an inning. Two innings later, he made a spectacular diving catch. He then finished the game with hits in his last two at-bats.
If Lagares continues to make progress as a hitter, along with his spectacular defense, the Mets will have a star in centerfield for years to come.
