Mets: An inside look at the four catchers invited to Spring Training

Nick Meyer is a catcher that most Mets fans do not know about, but his story is an unique one.

The next pitcher that the Mets invited to Spring Training is someone who very few people have heard of. Nick Meyer is another catching prospect in the Mets system that will get an opportunity this Spring Training. Meyer is a sixth-round pick that was selected by the team in 2018. At the time of the draft, Meyer was heralded as an excellent defensive catcher, evidenced by him being named the 2018 Big West Defensive Player of the Year for posting a career-best .988 fielding percentage and contributing towards 11 double plays.

On the offensive side of his game, Meyer does not project as a power hitter. However, Meyer has been noted for his incredible plate discipline, especially with him being at the stage of his career. In 600 career at-bats so far, he has only struck out 53 times, which is well below the MLB average.

Meyer’s background is an inspiring one, considering what he had to deal with when he was younger. He was born with a condition known as pre-axial polydactyly, a rare medical condition that resulted in him being born with two thumbs on his left hand. Although the extra thumb was removed when he was a baby, he is still currently living with the side effects today. As an example, Meyer cannot bend his left thumb all the way like most people can.

Although not the heralded prospect that Alvarez is, Meyer is still well-regarded as someone who could potentially form a tandem with Alvarez as a defensive complement. He excels at pitch framing and knows how to guide pitchers through jams by stealing strikes. He also has a strong arm, which has resulted in him being adroit at picking off baserunners. This Spring Training season provides Meyer a chance to show off his defensive instincts while giving him a chance to show team officials his improvement on the offensive end.

With his legal troubles over, Bruce Maxwell is seeking to reboot his major league career with the Mets.

Bruce Maxwell is the only veteran in the group of catchers that were invited. A second-round pick back in 2012, he spent three years with the Oakland Athletics organization, arriving in the big leagues first in 2016. What earned him a promotion to the big leagues was his strong offensive performance in Triple-A Nashville. Prior to his promotion, Maxwell batted .321 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in over 60 games. He continued hitting reasonably well with Oakland that season, compiling a .283/.337/.402 batting line over 32 games.

However, his offense gradually diminished over the next couple of seasons with the Athletics. In his last season with the Athletics, Maxwell compiled a .182/.207/.309 batting line with one home run and six RBI. He also had an off-field issue that placed him in legal trouble. Coupled with his underwhelming performance in 2018, it was no surprise that the Athletics made the decision to cut him loose.

However, Maxwell earned himself another opportunity with the Acereros de Monclova, and he made the most of it. He rediscovered his offense, compiling a batting average of .325 while clobbering 24 home runs and 112 RBI. Although the Mexican Baseball League is not at the same level as the major leagues, his performance internationally was noticed by several big league teams, including the New York Mets, who Maxwell ended up signing with.

Maxwell will get an opportunity to convince the Mets to bring him aboard as the team’s third catcher. The key for Maxwell will be to show the Mets that his rejuvenated offense was not simply an aberration, but a sign that he fixed what was ailing him and is once again the player the A’s drafted back in 2012.

David Rodriguez is another prospect who the Mets are hoping to see improvement from down in Florida this Spring Training.

The last catcher on the invitee list, David Rodriguez is another Venezuelan catcher who was signed as an international free agent and is seeking to cement his status as a prospect worth investing in going forward. Before he came to the Mets on a minor league deal, Rodriguez had spent seven years in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Rodriguez was initially signed by the Mets to improve their catching depth in the minors. Like Meyer, he received praise for his defensive abilities behind the plate while his offense left a lot to be desired. Baseball America noted Rodriguez’s athleticism, which enables him to block wild pitches well, and his arm strength, which results in him responding to base stealers quickly.

However, Rodriguez’s offense has so far held him back in his career. He posted a mere 76 wRC+ back in 2018. Despite showcasing improvement in 2019, Rodriguez only hit .225/.303/.366 with seven home runs and 36 RBI, and his wRC+ was 95, which is still below the league average.

What should get Mets fans feeling optimistic is that his performance this past winter suggested that his improvement in 2019 was not an outlier but a sign that he is developing into a more well-rounded catcher. Rodriguez compiled a 1.040 OPS in winter ball this past year, and although it is a small sample size, the Mets must have liked what they saw from him there because they are giving him an opportunity to play in Florida during this Spring Training season.

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It is likely that Rodriguez will start the 2021 season in Double-A after Spring Training concludes, but being invited is an accomplishment in itself. It shows that the Mets still believe that he could be in their future plans, and it represents another developmental step in his professional career.