With the way Ike Davis has been hitting lately, there has been a ton of talk has about sending the slumping lefty down to Triple-A to try and figure things out. With good reason, some are questioning whether or not Davis is the first baseman of the future anymore.
Everyone is chiming in on how to fix the situation. The fixes range from have Lucas Duda playing first base, to moving Daniel Murphy over to first base and calling Wilmer Flores up to play second base. That last option isn’t too bad of an idea, but I would have Jordany Valdespin play second base if I were to go that route — Flores isn’t ready for big league action yet.
The Ike Davis situation doesn’t seem like an easy fix, and the team may do a number of things to try solidify that first base position. If I have to give the Mets credit for anything, it’s that they definitely know how to get creative when positioning players defensively.
But what if Ike Davis isn’t the first baseman of the future? What if he gets sent down and still can’t figure it out? Who do we have on the farm that can potentially fill that void in the coming years? Here is a list of options the Mets have within the organization that could fill that void at first base:
2013 Options
Andrew Brown: Brown has been tearing the cover off the ball with Las Vegas this season. He has primarily been used in the outfield this season, but logged his first game at first base this past Friday night. He was called up for a couple of weeks already this season and played in six games, hitting .200 with one home run for the Mets.
Zach Lutz: Lutz is another option the Mets have, although he has played the majority of his games at third base this season for Las Vegas. Through 35 games this season, Lutz is hitting .260 with four home runs. Lutz is currently on the Mets’ 40-man roster.
Josh Satin: The starting first baseman for Las Vegas is having a very solid 2013 season. He’s batting .303 with six home runs in 38 games with Vegas. Satin would be equivalent offensively to having Daniel Murphy play first base, with slightly more pop.
A less likely option than the three listed above would be Travis d’Arnaud/John Buck. The fractured toe will delay this from happening, but one of the early plans that Terry Collins flirted with was having John Buck play some first base when d’Arnaud got called up to the show. I would love to see both of those guys playing first base to keep them both in the Mets lineup, and it would lessen the rigors of being an everyday major league catcher with them platooning at both positions. With all the injuries d’Arnaud has already suffered before even stepping foot onto a major league field, the Mets would be wise to consider a move like this.
2014 Options
Allan Dykstra: A former first round of the San Diego Padres, Dykstra is having a solid season with Double-A Binghamton this year. He’s a very patient hitter, and while he walks a lot, he also strikes out a bit due to getting into deep counts. This season he has 34 strikeouts in 33 games, but has also walked 26 times. His OBP has been over .400 the past two seasons, but the power numbers have been lacking during those same seasons. This is really his third look at Binghamton (2011, 2012, 2013), and his numbers have been pretty flat across the board except for power, where he has dipped.
Jayce Boyd: Boyd is a really polished college hitter that was drafted by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Florida State University. Getting this guy in the sixth round was a steal. His approach to hitting screams major leagues. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs, but he has excellent gap-to-gap power, and he will flat out hit — Mark Grace type of player. This is my pick to be the Mets’ future first baseman. He hasn’t played above A-Ball yet, but what he’s doing is remarkable. This season for Savannah, Boyd is hitting .360, and has walked more times than he struck out (24BB/16K). I doubt Boyd will be with the Mets out of Spring Training next year, but keep your eye on him.
