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.

100+ games? No problem for the Sun Bear

In a perfect world, Yoenis Cespedes would be fully recovered from Wild Boar-itis and begin the year as the Opening Day left fielder. Unfortunately, it does not seem likely that this will be the case. Not only do I expect Davis to be the Opening Day left fielder, but I have a feeling that he will get significant playing time this season.

I do think that Cespedes will be back in some form this year and will see time in left field. I also think that in any interleague games in which Cespedes is healthy, he will DH with either Davis or Smith in left field. All of this means that Davis will be in the lineup often, especially if he hits like he did last year.

Davis’s playing time in 2020 is further helped by the departure of Todd Frazier, the everyday third baseman in Flushing last year. In Frazier’s absence, McNeil slots in perfectly as the new man at the hot corner for the Mets, meaning that Davis will probably be playing a lot more left field than third base this year. However, if Robinson Cano gets injured, McNeil is likely the first man up to replace him at second, leaving Davis with an open spot to occasionally fill in at third if the need arises.

With the recent news of Michael Conforto’s tweaked side injury, Davis becomes even more important to the team’s early-season success, especially if Conforto has to miss significant time.

If Davis can stay healthy, as he did last year, I believe he’ll be a regular fixture in the Mets’ lineup once again in 2020.