New York Mets: Aaron Altherr Year in Review

Out of all the player reviews from the New York Mets, this one might have been the toughest so far. It does not take a baseball genius to figure out that Aaron Altherr was a waste of a roster spot when he was up this year. Despite that, let’s take a look at the month Altherr spent in Queens.

Altherr found his way to the Mets are starting the season 1-for-30 (.033) with the Phillies and Giants (one game). The Mets claimed him off waivers from the Giants on May 24 when they needed outfield help. He spent six games with the Mets before he was designated for assignment, then sent to Syracuse. During that time he 1-for-10 with the one hit being a home run in his first at-bat with the Mets.

Extreme Lack of Production

When he was called back up in late July, nothing changed. He was 3-for-21 (.143), and out of the 20 games he played in, he only started in three. Altherr was solely a defensive replacement and only received at-bats out of necessity. His defense was average during his short time with the Mets and was sent back down to the minor leagues when Jeff McNeil came off the IL.

It is hard to bash on a professional athlete because no baseball player aims to hit .082 in a season, but watching Altherr hit was brutal. He struck out in 15 of his 31 at-bats, and I honestly had more confidence in letting Steven Matz, or Jacob deGrom pinch-hit instead.

On to Korea

Altherr signed with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Association on Thursday. He will attempt to go the route Eric Thames used to revive his career. It is a good move for Altherr, who will head into his age-29 season in 2020.

Grades:

Hitting for Average: F

Hitting for Power: D-, two of his four hits were for extra bases

Defense: C, he was solid, but did not have enough opportunities to make a valid judgment

Speed/Baserunning: N/A, was only one base six times

Intangibles: C, nothing to be remembered for

Overall: F, this was comparable to the Matt den Dekker experiment of last season