David Stearns and the New York Mets’ desire for, and emphasis on, run prevention has been no secret this offseason. Stearns himself has publicly stated that improving the team’s defense would be of utmost importance as the club transitions into the 2024 season, and thus far his transactions have reflected that belief. The addition of Joey Wendle will augment the infield in that department, but the outfield has emerged as Stearns’ chief focus, evidenced by moves made to bring in both Tyrone Taylor and Harrison Bader.
The Returnees
The Mets’ outfield defense was rather dreadful in 2023, to put it bluntly. The group as a whole finished with -16 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which tied for the sixth-lowest total in the league, to go with -7 Outs Above Average (OAA) while additionally ranking in the bottom-six in both Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) and Outfield Arm Runs Above Average (ARM). Starling Marte and DJ Stewart, both of whom were squarely in the mix to receive regular playing time in the field before the additions of Taylor and Bader, were among the biggest culprits when it came to the Mets’ poor grades.
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Marte, once an elite defender and multiple-time Gold Glove winner during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has seen that one-time strength become a liability for all parties involved. While his arm remained immensely valuable, Marte posted -5 OAA and -5 DRS in 2023, continuing a downward trend that became evident during his first year with the Mets in 2022 and was only amplified by the multitude of injuries he dealt with. As he continues to age, it’s tough to foresee a bounce-back for Marte defensively, making New York’s recent moves all the more logical and necessary moving forward.
In Stewart’s case, he was a surprise offensive revelation for the Mets in a lost season but simply never found his footing with the glove. Across 362 innings in both corner spots, Stewart posted -4 DRS and -2 OAA along with a Statcast Fielding Run Value of -3. The defense has never been Stewart’s strong suit, and while the plan all along was likely for Stewart to serve as more of a bench piece or designated hitter, actually enacting it was a positive development for the Mets as they look to drastically refine their outfield.
Tyrone Taylor
Stearns’ steadfast nature towards run prevention was a major factor for the Milwaukee Brewers’ success during his tenure with the organization, particularly in the outfield. From 2016 to 2023, the Brewers ranked in the top five league-wide in OAA, DRS, UZR, and Range Runs Above Average (RngR) while also committing the fifth-fewest number of errors during that timeframe. While Milwaukee rostered several capable defenders that helped Milwaukee reach the heights that they did during that time, few were as impactful as Taylor.
While spending considerable time at all three outfield spots, Taylor, whom the Mets acquired via trade alongside Adrian Houser in December, recorded 17 DRS, 14 OAA, and 12 Fielding Run-Value across 2154 1/3 innings. That body of work includes his 2023 campaign in which he tallied 4 DRS and 2 OAA while playing a majority of his innings in right field, the position both Marte and Stewart struggled at last season. In 2022, Taylor flashed with 6 DRS and 5 OAA in over 669 innings at center field, further proving his versatility and value derived from his top-end arm talent and sprint speed.
Bader
On a similar note, Bader has flourished in the field since debuting and has made a name for himself as one of MLB’s premier defenders. Since 2017, the year of his initial call-up, Bader has notched the eight-most DRS of any outfielder (52), second-most OAA (68) behind only Kevin Kiermaier, and second-highest UZR (46.6) behind Mookie Betts all while adding a Gold Glove Award in 2021. Bader, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Mets and has spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Reds, has played over 4,000 innings in centerfield in his career and finished the 2023 season with 9 OAA and 4 DRS at the position as he turned in yet another stellar showing that bodes well for his potential production with New York next season.
Change In Philosophy
Taylor and Bader represent a shift in philosophy from one regime to the next for the Mets as Stearns looks to quickly correct the defensive shortcomings of the team’s roster. It remains to be seen how the alignment and split of playing time work out in New York’s outfield, as both Bader and Taylor have excelled in center field in the past and may push Brandon Nimmo into more of a permanent role in one of the corner spots as a result.
With that being said, there’s no denying the fact that the team’s recent moves will have an immediate impact on run prevention and be of huge assistance to a pitching staff that is very much a work in progress with various question marks at this juncture.
