The New York Mets entered play today with a record of 17-27 as they are 10 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Most people did not expect the Mets to be contenders this season, but they weren’t expected to be so bad this quickly into the season. A big reason for the Mets paltry record is first baseman Ike Davis. A lot of what the Mets were looking to accomplish now and in the future hinges on the bat of Davis. Davis was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by former Mets general manager Omar Minaya. Davis asserted himself in the Mets minor-league system and by 2010 he was called up to the big club. In his rookie season Davis hit 19 home runs with 71 runs batted in with a .264 batting average. Davis’ exploits allowed him to finish seventh in the 2010 National League Rookie of The Year voting.
After a foot injury limited Davis to just 36 games in 2011, there was optimism for the Mets and Davis in 2012. A dose of “valley fever” slowed Davis down in spring training last year and he started 2012 very slow with a .241 batting average and 3 home runs in the month of April. Davis was able to shrug off the slow start as he finished 2012 with 32 home runs and 90 runs batted in.
With the illness behind him there was a ton of optimism for Davis heading into the season, but Davis has not been able to answer the bell. Through 43 games played Davis has a .143 batting average with 4 home runs and only 9 runs batted in. Davis’ 53 strikeouts are fourth in the NL while his slugging percentage is only at .238.
When Davis is at the plate he appears to be a man that is lacking confidence. Davis’ mechanics appear to be off as his balance and rhythm as a hitter have disappeared.
When Mets general manager Sandy Alderson re-signed Mets third baseman David Wright last off-season to a seven-year, $138 million extension, it was expected that Davis would provide him with protection in the lineup. Wright is a career .301 hitter who is right around that number for 2013 as his batting average currently checks in at .300, but how long will he be able to keep it up without adequate protection behind him in the batting order at the cleanup position?
The Mets front office is teetering on the notion of demoting Davis to their Triple-A affiliate the Las Vegas 51s if Davis doesn’t get it going. Mets manager Terry Collins is against it, but it is time for Alderson to step in as judge and jury on the matter of Davis and book him on a flight to Sin City. Collins is taking up for him, but the fact that Alderson hasn’t given Collins (who is in the last year of his contract) an extension shows that he is not in the future plans of the Mets. If Davis is in the future plans of the Mets as he appears to be then Vegas is the only option that currently makes sense.
On the Mets current home stand the boo birds can be heard every time that Davis strikes out from the hundreds that actually make the trek to Citi Field. Collins has even dropped Davis in the batting order, but to no avail as the slugger from Arizona State University cannot find his groove.
At this point sending Davis down is the most logical thing to do. The Mets would take a step backwards to take five steps forward by demoting Davis. It makes sense which means that the Mets won’t do it.
Source:Baseball-reference.com
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