Scout Says d'Arnaud Doesn't Look Strong, Lacking Energy

Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud continues to struggle and is slashing at .190/.277/.276 in 65 plate appearances this season.

Baseball Prospectus spoke to a scout who told them:

“I haven’t liked him so far. He hasn’t looked good defensively, including allowing a bunch of passed balls. I’ve seen him miss some fastballs, almost like he has a blind spot. It’s slider bat speed and he just doesn’t look very strong. He hasn’t had a whole lot of energy either. It’s been pretty rough overall.”

it’s just one scout, but still troubling to see nonetheless.

D’Arnaud appeared to be coming out of his slump last week, making some hard contact but only finding leather instead of dirt or grass.

Normally, I wouldn’t worry about a prospect only 22 games into the season. But coming off his .548 OPS in 112 plate appearances last season, and given the fact he’s 25 and not 22, I can understand why some are concerned

It was important for d’Arnaud to hit the ground running, but that hasn’t happened yet for the California native.

He looks comfortable at the plate, but this is a results oriented game and so far his numbers are far removed from what most were expecting. His extra-base-hit percentage is at a woeful 3.9% in 177 PAs since his debut last season.

It’s still too early to start hitting the panic button, but needless to say d’Arnaud is becoming a concern.