Travis d'Arnaud Deserves To Be New York Mets' New Captain

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David Wright Travis d'Arnaud
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Taking a fastball to the hand while in the batter’s box can be quite costly – as it was for Travis d’Arnaud on April 19. A fractured right pinky finger caused by an errant toss from the Miami Marlins A.J. Ramos sent the New York Mets catcher to the disabled list and out of action for nearly two months.

But while losing playing time – especially for an up-and-coming player as d’Arnaud is – can be detrimental for the individual, the pain felt from that hit by pitch lingered even longer for the Mets themselves.

Minus d’Arnaud, manager Terry Collins’ offense was severely depleted – averaging 3.5 runs a game. Only one team in the National League was more offensively inept during that span. Those struggles were even more pronounced in the seven games following his return, which came one night after New York was no-hit by San Francisco Giants rookie Chris Heston.

The Mets embarked on a stretch of at least five runs in each of their next five contests – including a 10-run outburst to cement a comeback victory over the Atlanta Braves on June 21 (in which he was one of four Mets to hit a home run).

While the 26-year-old is on pace for a much-improved season at the plate – currently batting .306 and having an OPS of .876 – his reappearance in the lineup doesn’t solve everything for New York. It does fill a void, as rookie replacement Kevin Plawecki was hitting just .211.

But it’s more than just his bat that makes d’Arnaud’s good bill of health a strong injection of confidence in his team.

As the Mets’ current captain sees his future on the diamond remain in serious question, its starting catcher is molding himself as a main pillar in this franchise’s optimistic future – more than capable of taking the reins from David Wright as team leader. And that position may be opening sooner than expected.

It’s natural for the catcher to take on the leadership role. Only those with the wherewithal – and solid play on the field – can command respect. Just by observing, d’Arnaud is on his way.

The qualities needed for it can be both inbred and obtained through experience. For d’Arnaud, he was humbled a little over a year ago. After starting the 2014 season with the big league club, a poor showing got him a ticket down to Triple-A Las Vegas.

But from June 24 on, he hit .272 with 10 homers. That carried over into this year, when he opened at a 13-for-41 clip with two home runs and 10 runs driven in – until the broken pinkie put him temporarily out of action.

Now back, he’s helped steer the Mets on course once again.

Certainly, in the coming years, this ball club will be defined by its pitching – specifically, its starters. But while Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zach Wheeler, and (eventually) Steven Matz will have a collective impact on the fortunes in Queens, they can’t individually supply that influence on an everyday basis like d’Arnaud can.

Juan Lagares provides the defense in center field. Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores provide some power. Veterans Curtis Granderson and provide guidance, but only in the short-term. d’Arnaud is the one to ensure long-term stability. And for the young Mets, that may be the most essential quality of all.

 

Joe Messineo is a Contributor for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeMess17, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

 

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