Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Pillar is off to a hot start in his first spring training with the New York Mets. He is 3-for-4 in his first four at-bats, including a double and a triple on Wednesday during the Mets’ exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals. His triple was a deep one that hit the wall, nearly going over for a home run. He also walked once and scored a run in New York’s 14-9 loss to St. Louis.
When deciding on which organization he would call home for 2021, Pillar said it was the Mets’ “ready to win right now” mentality that excited him from the first time he spoke with the organization’s staff.
“For me, just really excited to be here, to be a part of an organization that’s ready to win now, that’s where me as a player, where I’m at in my career is a place I want to be. I want to ultimately go out there and win,” said Pillar in his February 27 press conference. “I can’t think of – maybe aside from spring training in 2016, where I was coming off a team that went to the ALCS – that I’ve been this excited for spring training. With the talent we have here … our expectations are to win,” said the veteran outfielder.
Pillar is showing that he wants to be part of something special through his first two exhibition games as a Met. It’s obviously still early, but a triple slash of .750/.800/1.500, with a 2.300 OPS will always stand out. He did enjoy one of his better offensive performances in the shortened 2020 season, which was split between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies. In 223 plate appearances, he slashed .288/.336/.462 with six home runs, 26 RBI, and 34 runs scored, all of which led to a career-high 106 wRC+.
