New York Mets Bats Bust Out

By Bryan Zarpentine
Brad Barr – USATODAY Sports

It was only one spring training game, and it was against the Houston Astros, but the New York Mets unleashed a little bit of an offensive explosion Saturday afternoon with a nine-run output, with most of their runs coming in the 3rd and 4th innings while their starters were in the game.  It was a meaningless game that will be long forgotten in just a couple days time, but it was a good sign that the Mets do have some good offensive potential in their lineup.

There were three players specifically that stood out on Saturday: first baseman Ike Davis, catcher John Buck, and left fielder Lucas Duda.  Davis was 2 for 2 with an RBI and three runs scored, as he continued his good spring, showing signs that he is finally healthy and ready to reach his potential.  Buck was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI’s, as he showed some of the power from the right side that will be a welcome addition to the Mets lineup.

But the player that stood out the most was Duda, who was 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored.  Duda has faced a lot of criticism for his struggles this spring, but Saturday in front of the home fans he showed signs that he’s beginning to turn it around.  The most impressive part of Duda’s performance was his ability to go the other way, something he is not known for, as he has the reputation as a pull hitter.  Duda showed some power hitting to left field, but more importantly he was able to produce runs by hitting the ball to left field, which is something he’ll have to be conscious of moving forward, as it may help him prevent such profound slumps like the one he went through last season.

So even in a meaningless game against a mediocre opponent, the Mets had a breakout game with their bats.  More importantly, some players that they’re counting on in 2013, showed a little bit of what they’re capable of doing.

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