Yesterday, we reviewed candidates in the New York Yankees’ roster to identify the most underrated hitter in their team. Today, we will do the same with the New York Mets, a team with sneaky-good depth in the offensive side of things.
We already know that Pete Alonso is a star, and he gained that status with a jaw-dropping rookie season that saw him mash 53 home runs to lead the league and set a new record for first-year players. The Mets know they have a keeper in him, so he’s not exactly underrated.
While you could say Jeff McNeil (143 wRC+ in 2019) and Michael Conforto (126 wRC+) don’t quite get the “press” they deserve, players and fans know that they are comfortably above-average hitters that will help the New York Mets for the next few years, most notably McNeil. Conforto’s free agency is approaching, though.
Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos are aging veterans who still have something left in the tank. They have the name and recognition, so they are out of the question. Brandon Nimmo and Dominic Smith, especially the former, are excellent hitters that still have their best years ahead of them.
The Mets’ offensive asset
However, when it comes to sheer offensive talent, there isn’t a more underrated offensive asset in the Mets than J.D. Davis. The Astros’ castoff finally received the opportunity he deserved in Queens, and boy, did he not disappoint.
In 140 games and 453 plate appearances, Davis slashed .307/.369/.527 with 22 homers and an impressive 136 wRC+.
If it weren’t for his bad defensive numbers (-9.0 rating per Fangraphs) we would probably be talking about an all-around star, but the Mets will gladly take his 2.4 2019 fWAR and hope for similar offensive production in 2020 and beyond.
Davis can take a walk, doesn’t strike out a lot, and hits the ball hard consistently. He figures to be an asset in the heart of the lineup for the New York Mets. If he can rake at a similar rate than last year, manager Luis Rojas will surely find consistent, semi-regular playing time for him.