It is no secret that the 2017 season will be a make or break year for Mets catcher, Travis d’Arnaud. With the help of newly hired catching guru and third-base coach, Glenn Sherlock, the team hopes to solve the mysteries that have plagued d’Arnaud in his young career.
According to Kevin Kernan of the NY Post, the 27-year-old catcher spent his offseason working on his craft. Travis is reported to have worked with Sherlock in both Arizona and California these past couple of months in order to cut down his woes with throwing out base runners.
“He was a huge help,’’ d’Arnaud said. “For the team to bring him in shows they have my back and they want me to get better. So it’s cool that he is here.’’
The Mets have been void in a catching instructor since former bench coach, Bob Geren, left the team after the 2015 season for Los Angeles. This past season was d’Arnaud’s roughest yet behind the plate, allowing 61 stolen bases while just catching 17. It is also worth noting that he appeared in just 73 games this past season, making those stats even more alarming.
Travis’ struggles of course did not just sit behind the plate last season as he also had a poor offensive showing. He hit to a .247/.307/.323 battling line to go with just four homers and 15 RBI. To his credit, d’Arnaud, reportedly also spent time with hitting coach, Kevin Long, during the offseason to work on his offensive issues.
“We wanted to eliminate the wrap. We watched a lot of film, too,” d’Arnaud said. “A lot of the balls I hit well, I thought I was wrapping and I actually wasn’t wrapping. I know now where to start my hands to stay consistent.’’
Travis and his coaches are said to be utilizing a lot of video in helping to correct his defensive and offensive problems. He will have every opportunity to prove he is the player this organization believes he can be in 2017 as he has been given a vote of confidence by the front office.
