There is a laundry list of items the New York Mets must check off this winter if they are to taste success in 2023. Revamping the designated hitter position should be at the top of the list.
As good as the Mets were for the most part in 2022, their lineup was flawed and the DH spot was probably the biggest indicator of that. In order to be successful in the majors, especially in the postseason, you need plenty of pop in the lineup. You also need big and consistent production from the designated hitter.
With Pete Alonso the team’s everyday first baseman, the Mets were relying on a lot more production from Dominic Smith, but he proved to be a total bust. The original plan was for Smith and Alonso to flip-flop between first base and DH, but Smith hit just .194/.276/.284/.560 with no homers in 152 plate appearances, and he would later be assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.
That forced general manager Billy Eppler to pivot from the plan, and he went on to acquire slugger Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the trade deadline. The team then went out and gave up a boatload in order to trade for Darin Ruf from the San Francisco Giants with the aim being to create a platoon at DH.
Well, the experiment failed big time. While Vogelbach went on a hot streak shortly after being acquired, hitting .308/.471/.500 with three runs scored, one home run, four RBIs, and a .971 OPS in 26 at-bats, he cooled off somewhat down the stretch and he was a non-factor in the National League Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres.
As for Ruf? Let’s just say that the whole experiment was an unmitigated disaster. While the move at the time caused plenty of experts to scratch their heads, the Mets defended it by pointing to Ruf’s ability to absolutely mash against left-handed pitchers. The veteran was a career .272/.367/.523/.891 hitter against lefties, but he didn’t hit at all while in a Mets uniform and he failed to blast a single home run in Queens.
To sum up the woes in total, the Mets had a total of 183 strikeouts from the DH spot in 2022, and the position collectively hit .218/.314/.371 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI. The whole point of the designated hitter is to provide pop and offense, and that just didn’t happen. Then, when manager Buck Showalter went to his bench to replace the DH in order to provide a spark, that didn’t work. Mets pinch hitters combined for a horrific slash line of .105/.370/.263 with just two hits in 19 total at-bats when coming in for a DH. That just isn’t going to get the job done.
Eppler had a chance to really upgrade the DH spot at the trade deadline with a big power bat and failed to do so, despite only the catcher position providing worse numbers. The lack of offense from their designated hitters was a driving force behind why the Mets blew the division to the Atlanta Braves. It was also a considerable factor in their early and disappointing exit from the playoffs. If the team is to live up to expectations and compete for a World Series in 2023, then Eppler must right his wrongs from a few months ago and actually overhaul the entire position.
How The Mets Can Upgrade DH Position
The good news is that there are plenty of options out there for the front office to address arguably one of the biggest needs on the team. One of the flashiest names available this offseason is J.D. Martinez, who has built a career on being one of the best all-around hitters in the majors. He can also blast homers at an elite rate.
Martinez hit .274/.341/.448 with 16 homers in 139 games in 2022, and he does well against both left-handed and right-handed pitching. Granted, he slumped after the All-Star break, slashing just .233/.301/.400, but he has the talent and the pedigree needed to bounce back. His big bat would provide the kind of middle of the order pop that the Mets badly missed in 2022. Plus, boasting a career .352 on-base percentage, Martinez is hardly a one-dimensional bat and he would be a clear and significant upgrade at DH.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
However, there’s also intriguing options out there if the Mets want a player who can offer some versatility. Take Josh Bell, for example. As was the case with Martinez, the front office tried to make a run at Bell but missed out with the 30-year-old ultimately being dealt to the Padres as part of the blockbuster Juan Soto trade.
Bell is a switch-hitter who has 406 career walks, he can mash against both lefties and righties and he owns a career .351 on-base percentage. He also ranked in the 55th percentile for hard hit percentage in 2022, per Baseball Savant, slashing .301/.384/.493 with 14 home runs for the Washington Nationals before being traded to the Padres. Bell would be an ideal everyday DH for the Mets, who could also stand in for Alonso at first base if needed.
Sticking with the versatility theme, José Abreu is similar to Bell in that he can also play some first base while being primarily an everyday designated hitter. He’s older at 35 but he’s been one of the best and most consistent hitters in the majors over a sustained period of time now. Abreu posted a slash line of .304/.378/.446 in 157 games in 2022 with 15 homers and a 3.9 fWAR. He also ranked in the 97th percentile in hard hit percentage last season, which means that he can still generate some plenty of power and he would bring some pop to the middle of the lineup for the Mets.
If Eppler were to go after a player like Abreu, he could also decide to operate a platoon at DH once again by also signing former Met Justin Turner in free agency. While the Dodgers hold a $16 million option on Turner for 2023, the veteran is thought to be open to a return to Citi Field and he’s another good option at DH. While he endured a down year in 2022, Turner still hit .278/.350/.438/.788 with 13 home runs and 36 doubles. With 50 walks and a 2.4 fWAR over 532 plate appearances, Turner could fill in as a designated hitter while also being able to provide cover for Eduardo Escobar at third base given his sold defensive play at the hot corner.
Brandon Drury, Trey Mancini and Mitch Haniger are all also potential options for the Mets, so there is no excuse for the front office to not upgrade an area of the team that is in dire need of a revamp. Of course, it is worth noting that Ruf is under contract for the 2023 season and the team also holds a $1.5 million option on Vogelbach, but it wouldn’t be hard for Eppler to cut ties with both players.
Instead, it should be an absolute priority for the Mets to go all out this offseason and sign a legit slugger that can provide a hot bat from the middle of the lineup. Because, if this team can solve their designated hitter woes, then that will go a long way to strengthening the core of this lineup and setting them up for sustained success in 2023, both in the regular season and, more importantly, deep into October.
