Jul 14 2013 03:42 PM
Collins Credits His Outfielders for the Mets’ Revival
Left fielder Eric Young Jr., left, and right fielder Marlon Byrd have given the Mets a boost offensively
and defensively.
By ANDREW KEH
Published: July 13, 2013
| PITTSBURGH — The Mets have recovered some since their disastrous start to the season, going 16-10 since June 16, baseball’s third-best record during that time. They began Saturday 40-49 over all, but they were considerably worse off a month ago. From Manager Terry Collins’s perspective, improved play from his outfielders has been a major reason for the resurgence. Asked about the outfield over the winter, General Manager Sandy Alderson aptly characterized the team’s situation when he said jokingly, “What outfield?” But the group seems to be constructing a positive identity now. Catching the ball has been a start. “I truly believe one of the reasons we have played better is our defense has been very good out there,” Collins said. Earlier this year, the Mets did not have much stability and were employing a carousel through the various outfield positions. They used players like Rick Ankiel, Collin Cowgill and Jordany Valdespin as center fielders. Only Valdespin has remained on the team, and his role has been minimized. Lucas Duda, a natural first baseman who has been a project as the team’s starting left fielder, has been on the disabled list since mid-June. Now, Marlon Byrd has settled into right field. Collins lauded his defense, pointing out his team-leading six outfield assists through Friday. Juan Lagares and Kirk Nieuwenhuis have split time as center fielders. Collins acknowledged the two were not producing big numbers at the plate, but he said their combined defense had made the team better. And Eric Young Jr., who arrived via trade June 18, has added speed and aggressiveness to left field. Collins singled out a catch he made at AT&T Park during their series against the San Francisco Giants, when he hurtled into foul territory and scampered over the bullpen mounds to catch a pop fly. “There’s not a lot of guys getting to that ball, let alone catch it in those conditions,” Collins said. All that has given Collins some peace of mind. “When they’ve hit the ball in the air to the outfield, we’ve caught it,” Collins said, “and all of a sudden, that’s one less out we’ve got to worry about. Earlier in the year, there were balls we weren’t getting to, balls that were dropping in, and now they’re not.” Even more surprising has been the group’s contributions at the plate. Young had 180 plate appearances for the Colorado Rockies before he was traded, and he produced a .242 average and .290 on-base percentage, scoring 22 runs and stealing 8 bases. For the Mets, he had had 111 plate appearances over 22 games through Friday, compiling a .296 batting average and .369 on-base percentage. He had scored 15 runs and stolen 7 bases. His speed has added a new dimension to the Mets’ lineup, which had lacked a traditional leadoff man. Byrd has had a career revival, batting .263 with 15 home runs and 49 runs batted in through Friday. Collins said he did not know what to expect when the Mets signed him to a minor league deal this winter, but as he said Saturday, “Marlon’s been special.” |
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/sport ... vival.html