NY Mets: Three players who could have a J.D. Davis year in 2020

These members of the New York Mets could have a bigger year than expected just as J.D. Davis did in 2019.

J.D. Davis surprised just about everyone with his performance on the field in 2019. When the New York Mets acquired him, like many people, I thought he would sit on the bench and maybe get the occasional start.

Due to injuries, Davis found himself in the middle of the Mets lineup in midseason. He became the team’s everyday left fielder and one of the best bats in their starting nine.

In 2020, there are a few guys who could surprise us the same way as Davis. Although they may be a little more well-known, they do fit one major part of the criteria. All three of the players I want to cover here have the capability to start on this team should the need arise. They have a chance to become much bigger contributors than originally expected.

Jake Marisnick – OF

If there’s anyone I think on this Mets team most likely to make the leap from the bench to the starting lineup it has to be outfielder Jake Marisnick. In a regular 162-game season, he was probably going to play in about 120-130 games anyway.

Marisnick has already gotten some love on social media from fans who would even prefer to see him start every day in center field. Those lineups fans have put together include Marisnick in center field, Brandon Nimmo in left field, and Davis on the bench.

I think Marisnick’s path to regular starts is only happening if a Mets outfielder suffers an injury. It doesn’t matter which outfield position it is. Marisnick is the first in line to take over for him because of his terrific defense.

The Mets have quite a few outfield options in 2020. However, none have defensive skills that come close to what Marisnick can do.

Drew Smith – RP

I wanted to get at least one pitcher on this list. Among all of the positions, it’s the pitchers I suspect will face injuries most.

My choice for someone to seemingly rise up and become a major player this season is reliever Drew Smith. You may remember him from such Mets trades as the 2017 deal involving Lucas Duda. You may have forgotten about him because he missed all of 2019 following Tommy John Surgery.

Smith did provide a sneak peek of his talent in 2018 when he was one of the few Mets relievers capable of getting the job done. While it was only 28 innings and a 3.54 ERA performance, Smith has shown other signs that he may be a big league reliever.

Throughout his minor league career, Smith has put up fantastic numbers. He’s a true “preventer of runs.” Going back to 2015, he has ERAs of 0.29, 2.96, 16.5, and 2.68. I know this doesn’t mean he’s the future Mets closer or even a guy who will have recovered fully from surgery. I’m rolling the dice on Smith. I think he has been overlooked and has an opportunity to become an important part of the 2020 Mets.

There are obstacles in Smith’s way to getting there and becoming the pitching version of Davis. Smith is down on the depth chart and will have to earn his way onto the Mets roster then continually fight to stay.

Maybe I’m a sucker for underdogs. Whatever it is, Smith is a guy who could creep into the Mets bullpen and help stabilize what has far too often become a weakness for the organization.

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Which players do you think could have an unexpectedly awesome year like J.D. Davis did in 2019?