Another loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday at Citi Field means it’ll be that much tougher for the New York Mets to grab one of the two National League wild-card spots by the end of this month. It’s certainly not an impossible task — they’re four games back with 20 contests to go — but with FanGraphs giving them a 7.6% chance of getting it done and four teams ahead of them in the standings, accomplishing this will be tough.
One thing that continued on Sunday that’s been a more consistent occurrence since the All-Star break is catcher Wilson Ramos having himself a day. The veteran backstop went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, a walk, three RBI, and two runs scored despite the loss.
Although his 26-game hitting streak came to an end a few days ago, that hasn’t taken away the fact that Ramos’ second-half production has been head-and-shoulders above what he did prior to the midsummer classic. What we’ve seen from the 32-year-old is also what Brodie Van Wagenen and the rest of the organization was hoping to see all year after signing him to a two-year contract this past winter.
Better late than never, right?
Ramos is still threading the needle after taking a look at how his batted-ball profile has changed between the first half and second half, but he’s making it work. Here’s a look at how things have changed from one time period to the next.
| 2019 | LD% | GB% | FB% | IFFB% | Soft% | Hard% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Half | 18.8% | 62.3% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 18.4% | 34.3% |
| Second Half | 20.2% | 58.9% | 20.9% | 2.9% | 16.6% | 31.3% |
His 60.8% season-long ground-ball rate is still the highest in baseball among qualified hitters, but he’s at least maximizing the rest of his batted-ball events at the moment. Even with this hot stretch, though, there are things Ramos can take into the offseason and reflect on as he prepares for 2020.
Two important things stand out with regard to what he’s done in his first season with the Mets: his durability and how his production compares to what New York produced at the position in 2018.
Sunday was Ramos’ 126th game played in 2019. That’s currently his third-highest number of games played in any season since debuting in 2010, and it’s his most since 2016 with the Washington Nationals (131, which is a career high). So, Mickey Callaway and the coaching staff not only found a way to keep him healthy and in the lineup, but also fresh enough to get hot during what’s probably the most grueling part of the regular season.
Ramos and Tomas Nido are the only Mets catcher who have appeared in more than 20 games this season. Last year, four different players donned the tools of ignorance for the Mets at least 20 times (Nido, Kevin Plawecki, Devin Mesoraco, and Jose Lobaton). Entering the year, durability and health were concerns regarding Ramos because of his past, but so far, so good (finding some wood to knock on).
It’s also worth noting that Ramos will basically outproduce the Mets’ cumulative 2018 catcher production all by himself. Here’s a quick look at where things stand:
| Year + Player | PA | OPS | ISO | HR | R | RBI | wOBA | wRC+ | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Ramos | 470 | .794 | .136 | 14 | 49 | 71 | .317 | 111 | 1.5 |
| 2018 Mets Catchers | 669 | .642 | .151 | 19 | 70 | 76 | .281 | 79 | -0.5 |
Combine this offense with earning some more confidence from the pitching staff (especially compared to earlier in the year) and this signing is turning out to be much better than it initially looked over the season’s first few months. The more encouraging part in all of this, though, has been his uptick in offense. Why? Well, let’s be honest — that’s the main reason New York went after him in the first place. After all, we did just detail what New York’s group of catchers did in the batter’s box last year, and it wasn’t pretty.
Ramos has encountered a couple tough months at the plate, but overall, he’s been a solid addition to Callaway’s lineup. While he produced two months below a 100 wRC+ (65 in March/April and 48 in July), he’s enjoyed three months with at least a 120 wRC+ (121 in May, 122 in June, and 179 in August).
The chances of the Mets getting back to the postseason are getting slimmer with each loss, but the chance still remains. Many things have to go right for them to actually make this happen. Finding the balance between keeping Ramos healthy, balanced, and productive over these last three weeks will be one of those keys.
