New Mets second baseman Neil Walker is ready for the challenge of replacing Daniel Murphy this season, he tells Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.
“My style of baseball is kind of similar to Murph’s,’’ Walker said. “I’ve always considered myself as an athlete and a guy who pays attention to the small details. My game is not the prettiest. I consider myself a grinder.’’
Walker, 30, was happy to see Terry Collins pencil him into the number five spot in the order when he gave reporters a preview of his Opening Day lineup last week.
“That’s a place I really enjoy hitting,’’ the switch-hitting Walker said. “I’m a line-drive hitter from both sides of the plate, and I’ve always been the kind of guy who puts the ball in play. With the guys in front of me, there certainly will be the opportunity to drive some runs in here.’’
The Mets and Walker agreed on a one-year contract worth $10.55 million last week to avoid arbitration. He made $8 million with the Pirates last season and was requesting $11.8 million.
While he may not exceed his career high of 23 in home runs, I can certainly see Walker producing at a 125 OPS+ level this season. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him bat .285 with 35 doubles and 18 home runs. And if Collins leaves him in the fifth spot, he could easily drive in 80 or more runs – something he last did in 2011 when he had 83 RBI.
Defensively, he’s unquestionably better than Murphy, posting +1 defensive runs saved the last four seasons compared to -40 for Murph.
By the way, you’ll want to check out Kernan’s full article in which he and Walker look back on his days as a star wide receiver and cornerback in high school. Of particular note was an annual All Star Game of sorts pitting the best high school senior stars of Pennsylvania and Ohio against each other. Walker played one of the two cornerback positions – the other was Darrelle Revis. Check it out here.
