New York Mets: Three J.D. Davis predictions for the 2020 season

Let’s make some predictions for New York Mets slugger J.D. Davis and what he brings to the diamond in 2020.

Though he only arrived in Flushing a year ago, J.D. Davis has quickly cemented himself as a fan favorite for the New York Mets. He had a season to remember in 2019, setting team home records for batting .354 with a 1.078 OPS in Queens, while leading the NL in batting in the second half with a .335 average after the All-Star break.

Davis also delivered an impassioned post-game interview on August 21 after he walked off the Cleveland Indians, further endearing himself to Mets fans with his unbridled enthusiasm. It quickly became clear last year that Davis, one of the original members of the “Queens Cookie Club,” absolutely loves being a Met.

With that memorable debut season in Flushing under his belt, how can Davis top himself in 2020? Here are three predictions I have for him this year. Spoiler alert: I’m predicting a big year for the California native this season.

Knock, knock, knocking on .300’s door

Despite batting just .248 in 113 plate appearances with the Houston Astros in 2018, Davis showed last year that he can be an elite hitter. He finished the year with a .307 batting average, second on the team only to Jeff McNeil‘s .318 clip in that department. Davis, as I mentioned earlier, played particularly well at home and consistently grinded out quality at-bats whenever he stepped up to the plate.

Many of these at-bats were in crucial situations, helping Davis gain the reputation of a “clutch” hitter as he hit .293 with two outs and RISP.

What is perhaps most remarkable about Davis’s success in 2019 was how he dealt with frequently being a part-time player. Whether he was backing up Todd Frazier at 3rd base or splitting time with Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil in left field, Davis never complained about his role and slotted nicely into the lineup wherever he was placed.

Given his success last year in this role, I believe Davis is going to replicate that high batting average and hit .300 again in 2020. Whether he ends up hitting 4th, 5th, 6th, or elsewhere in the Mets lineup, Davis seems to let nothing faze him at the plate. If he can hit .300 for the Mets this season, that bodes extremely well for the team overall.

Here come 80+ “rib-eye steaks” for J.D.

When Davis plays, he will likely be batting in the fourth, fifth, or sixth spot in the order, all of which are big run-producing spots for any team’s lineup. He showed a remarkable ability to drive in crucial runs last year, as 32 of his 57 RBI in 2019 came when the game’s score was within one run.

Even if Cespedes plays regularly and McNeil is a fixture at third base, I believe that Davis will continue to produce and drive in runs, leading him to at least 80 RBI next year. Of course, there’s no reason why he has to stop there.

This should be helped by his power numbers; Davis was one of five Mets last year to hit 20+ home runs. Even if the ball isn’t quite as juiced this year as it was last year, Davis possesses a powerful right-handed swing that can take on even the Great Wall of Flushing, which should further boost his RBI numbers in 2020. Anyone who can drive themselves in with a long ball drastically increases their RBI game.

Whichever way you look at it, J.D. Davis will be an important factor to the Mets’ 2020 success. He became one of my favorite players last year, and I am so excited to see how he’ll contribute to the team this season.

Hopefully, he’ll come through with a few more walk-off hits and amped-up post-game interviews that inject a little extra “LFGM” energy into all of us.

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What do you predict from Davis in 2020?