Alex asks…
Do you have a personal favorite for the next Mets hitting coach and who do you think they’ll ultimately go with?
Joe D. replies…
I don’t really have a favorite to be quite honest. I’ve shared my pros and cons on Bobby Abreu, Kevin Long and most recently Dave Magadan. But the fact of the matter is I don’t really care which way Sandy Alderson goes. In the grand scheme of things, a hitting coach is item number 150 on things that really matter this offseason.
The Mets already have an organizational hitting philosophy and regardless of whom they choose as their next hitting coach, rest assured that he’ll be on board and lockstep with that philosophy.
The philosophy is a sound one based on a fundamental approach that many of the game’s best hitters have always used. Being selective at the plate, making good contact, and understanding that you’ll do more damage hitting pitches in the zone is nothing new. It’s common sense.
The problem for the Mets has been a failure to deliver that message. Dave Hudgens over-complicated everything and never connected with the players who just wanted to go to the plate and hit. He was unable to reach most of them and eventually they all just tuned him out.
Perhaps Travis d’Arnaud was the one who helped usher in Hudgens’ ouster. When asked to explain his turnaround after a demotion to the minors, he said he needed to get all the noise out of his head and go back to basics.
What the Mets need is someone personable who can connect with the team. Someone who could simplify the organizational philosophy and not burden the hitters with weekly spray charts and tons of scientific data. It’s not a science to them, it’s a game.
While the Mets are on the hunt to increase home run output at home and overall, I hope they don’t forget that what they need most is disciplined contact hitters who can hit the ball with authority and to all fields.
They also need a communicator who can teach the basics of situational hitting. Our players need to understand the importance of advancing runners and getting them home from third. Strikeouts are never productive, but a well placed grounder or a deep fly with a runner on third and less than two outs is. Hopefully our next hitting coach will be able to do a better job of delivering that message and getting the team to buy in.
