NY Mets: Mid-term grades for the 5 starting infielders

Remember mid-terms in school? They served as a reminder of how well you’ve done so far. They also provide a warning for how much you’ve slacked off. The New York Mets season is about halfway over. It’s time to hand out some mid-term grades. We’ll start with the five infielders.

The Mets have suffered a lot of injuries this year which has led to some guys we never expected to play regularly get their names in the starting lineup far too often. Taking this into account, some of these Mets players may need to do a little bit of extra credit in the second half.

Remember, attendance counts toward your grade. So for some of these Mets, it’s important to start showing up.

Mets catcher James McCann – C

I give James McCann a solid C. He has done exactly what I expected him to. Solid defense, below-average offense, and the occasional big hit have highlighted his first half.

For a good number of weeks, McCann was flirting with a D at the mid-term. He lost playing time to Tomas Nido but has since reclaimed his place as the team’s starting catcher. His bat seems to have finally woken up.

Admittedly, I had much lower expectations for McCann than many. His career numbers suggest he’s probably not going to be the hitter he was for two seasons as a member of the Chicago White Sox. The pace he’s currently on is about where I thought he would be.

Because of this, McCann doesn’t have to improve much in order to maintain a C grade. It might not be what you want from him. Unfortunately, he is who he is.