Mets Predictions: J.D. Davis should and will have a long career in NYC

We look toward the future and try to predict what’s in store for J.D. Davis and his future with the New York Mets.

J.D. Davis is one of the more fascinating members of the 2019 New York Mets because of where he came from. Like a Randy Orton RKO, he seemed to appear from nowhere.

When the season began, Davis looked like a depth piece we might see get some midseason action with the club if needed. He ended up making the roster out of camp and stayed with the Mets throughout the 2019 season. Although it took until the summer months for him to get significant playing time, Davis wasted little time in becoming a fan-favorite.

Moving forward with the club, the Mets will have a lot of decisions to make about Davis. Was his 2019 season a fluke? Where will they play him? How often will he get a chance to hit dingers?

I’ll try to provide some predictions to all of these questions and more as we gaze into the future. What does it hold for Davis?

Brodie Van Wagenen believes in J.D. Davis during his tenure

Brodie Van Wagenen brought Davis to town and if he has a chance, I think he’d like to keep him in New York.

The difficulty here could be BVW’s own job security. Once the Wilpons are out as the owners, there’s no telling how long Van Wagenen could stay as the general manager.

I don’t foresee an extension for Davis just yet. There are more pressing needs for the Mets with other players prepared to reach the free agent pool much sooner. Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, and Michael Conforto are three of the biggest. Ahead of him on the list of potential early extensions, we also find players like Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil.

Regardless of where he sits on this hypothetical list, I cannot imagine Van Wagenen trading one of his best acquisitions.

A permanent stay by the DH in the NL should aid in this prediction. And that leads us into my next prediction, where does Davis play?

J.D. Davis has DH written all over him

It’s too soon to give up on Davis as a productive member of the Mets lineup as more than just a bat. However, I think he will serve this squad best as the near full-time DH beginning in 2021. It makes a lot of sense considering his defensive limitations and how the Mets wouldn’t really miss him much in the field.

Assuming the alternative would be for Davis to play left field, the Mets can easily solve this by moving Brandon Nimmo there where he’s far more comfortable. This would allow them to target a truer center fielder and let Davis slip in as their primary DH.

By no means would Davis suck up every plate appearance by the DH. If he hits, Robinson Cano may get some starts there as should Pete Alonso.

Since this is the DH we’re talking about, nearly everyone with a hot bat and less than stellar glove could see an appearance at the plate. Davis was built for the DH role and it’s what I’m predicting he’s destined for while in Flushing.

There are a few conclusions to jump to for this to be possible. The DH has to be a more permanent fixture in the NL which feels all too likely. Davis must also continue to hit and the Mets need to hold onto him. I believe strongly in both.

The whole idea of trading Davis in the first place had a lot to do with a lack of places to play him. The issue solves itself with the inevitable: pitchers will no longer hit in National League hosted games.