Opening Day 2016 didn’t get off to the start that Met fans were hoping for. That’s probably the biggest understatement I could make. And while the Mets did show some late life in the top of the eighth inning, they couldn’t drive in the tying run, and lost to the Kansas City Royals 4-3.
Fans have no doubt looked at the blemishes this game provided, the Yoenis Cespedes gaffe in the first inning, David Wright’s shortcomings at third and his inability to catch up to the fastball, Matt Harvey not pitching his ‘A’ game after an abbreviated spring and ‘bladdergate’.
However, there were a few silver linings from last nights World Series match-up, a few bright spots that stood out and should help give fans some hope and optimism going forward.
With Terry Collins able to employ the DH, he chose defense over lefty/righty splits and played Juan Lagares in center, shifting Cespedes back to his more comfortable position in left field. Kauffman Stadium plays big, so having Lagares out in center made the most sense to cover as much ground as possible.
The talk early on in Spring Training was how Lagares arrived in terrific shape. His workouts in the off-season paid off as Collins noticed and was enticed by the shape he was in.
“Did you see him? Oh my God. Unbelievable shape,” Collins said at an early press conference. “Tremendous shape.”
Lagares did look a lot leaner than anytime last season, and it showed in Sunday night’s game. His range in the outfield and speed running the bases was impressive, and despite the late jump he had on that sinking line drive in the sixth by Alex Gordon, I’d say he had a strong night in the outfield overall.
The former gold glover also went 1-3 at the plate, and scored the first run for the Mets in the top of the eighth. His single came off right-hander Joakim Soria, who held right-handed batters to a .536 OPS last season.
It was nice to see Jerry Blevins back out on the mound since last April 19th after he broke his left forearm twice last season. Blevins looked sharp in the abbreviated seven games he appeared in last year, issuing no walks or hits. Blevins continued where he left off from 2015, and worked a perfect eighth, retiring the Royals 4-5-6 hitters on eleven pitches, seven of which were strikes.
Blevins is going to be a big piece for the Mets bullpen this year, especially with his great splits against lefties. For his career, Blevins has held lefties to a .577 OPS. Blevins also pitches at a three quarters arm angle, which can be deceptive to tough lefty hitters. At $4 million for 2016, Blevins might turn out to be a great bargain for the Mets, barring health issues or curbs.
Of course, I saved the best for last. Michael Conforto continues to impress and has the presence of a ten-year veteran. I wrote about Conforto back in early February and spoke about how he’s ready to blossom and become quite possibly the Mets best hitter.
The talk during the off-season was about whether Conforto was going to get adequate time against southpaws this year, something the Mets sheltered him from last season, and understandably so. Asking a kid who skipped Triple A to come up and solve all the offensive woes isn’t fair. This year though, I expect Collins to use Conforto against lefties to see how Conforto responds at the plate. In my earlier article I wrote how there weren’t too many left-handed starting pitchers that Conforto will run into, so he should be seeing a bulk of the playing time in left this year.
Transitioning back to last night’s opener, it must have been a thrill for the 23 year-old to make his first Opening Day roster, and he didn’t disappoint. Conforto was on base four times Sunday night, going 2-2 at the plate with a single, double, and two walks. His double was the only extra base hit of the game, a deep shot to center that Lorenzo Cain mistimed at the wall. Conforto did get caught stealing second in the fourth to end the inning. However, I liked the hustle he displayed, and he did get a good jump off of Edinson Volquez. Catcher Salvador Perez made a strong throw from his knees and the ball sailed to second baseman Omar Infante’s right side to tag Conforto as he was sliding in headfirst. I like the aggressiveness on the base paths, and for a big guy, he runs pretty well. Needless to say, Conforto is still looking for his first Major League stolen base.
His poise and baseball acumen will be a testament to how quickly he rises in the Mets batting order. I suspect that by mid-season he’ll be regularly batting no lower than fifth in the order, with many calling for him to be the Mets permanent three hitter. Eventually I do envision him in that role, however we should give him time to adjust and not push that on him so quick. He’s going to be an important piece for the next several years, and with offense at a premium in today’s game, and clubs locking up their young talent to team friendly contracts, it would behoove the Mets to not rush Conforto’s progression. They should be thinking long term with him, and that means not throwing him into the fire to quickly, in fear of stunting his development.
So while we wait for Game 2 on Tuesday, lets appreciate some of the positives the Mets displayed on Sunday night, and just be happy that baseball is finally back for 2016. A few more silver linings from Sunday night’s game, and the Mets could’ve been the victors, so lets hope our other superhero starting pitcher can get us back on track Tuesday afternoon.
