Last night with the Mets returning home after an 8-2 road trip, it was Travis d’Arnaud‘s turn to play Mr. Clutch. With the Mets trailing the Miami Marlins 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, d’Arnaud belted a two-run homer to straight away center that tied the game at three. The Mets went on to win the game 4-3 after David Wright plated the go ahead run on a ground-rule double in the bottom of the seventh. The win is their eighth in a row, and it dropped their magic number down to 10.
“We just never give up,” d’Arnaud said after the game. “We are never out of it and we play to win.”
D’Arnaud’s home run is another reminder of the raw power and overall potential this extremely talented young catcher possesses. It was his 12th home run in just 52 games this year for the Mets, seven of which have given the Mets the lead or have tied the game.
“We know he’s got big time power and his confidence right now offensively is off the charts,” manager Terry Collins said. “There’s nobody he walks up there against that he doesn’t think he can hit. He’s dangerous.”
In 200 at-bats this season for the Mets, Travis is batting .300 with 13 doubles,12 homers, 30 runs scored and 40 RBI while yielding a .568 slugging percentage and 159 wRC+.
Since August 1st he is tops in the league among catchers in OPS at .985. The next closest is Buster Posey at .861. When he’s in the lineup the Mets are a remarkable 35-17.
D’Arnaud has been extremely valuable for this Mets team, and is now displaying the tremendous offensive skills the Mets were hoping for when they acquired him back in 2013 from the Toronto Blue Jays in the R.A. Dickey trade.
If he could stay healthy for an entire season, can you imagine the kinds of numbers he could put up from behind the plate? Currently, d’Arnaud is so dialed in at the plate right now and he’s become one of the toughest outs in the lineup for the Mets. In 11 games this month, he’s batting .432 with three home runs and 10 RBI. Nine of those RBI have come in his last eight games. He is blossoming into one of the games top catchers right before our very eyes.
