NY Mets Lineup: 3 players are riding the pine since Javier Baez arrived

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Aug 16, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets third baseman J.D. Davis (28) watches his single against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

We knew there would be some major changes to the New York Mets lineup when Javier Baez arrived to the club and everyone else got healthy. What I’m not sure we anticipated was how it would affect three players.

Baez was a good match for the Mets because he helped to fill the absence of Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Upon Lindor’s return, Baez was able to move over to second base. The plan has been in place nearly every game with the Mets hoping this can help create the best defensive alignment and starting lineup possible.

However, three Mets who have struggled in different ways are now riding the pine more than ever. What does the future hold for each of them?

The Mets lineup no longer has room for J.D. Davis

Baez’s arrival hasn’t affected J.D. Davis as much as another player’s production has. Jonathan Villar is ripping baseballs as if his life depends on it. Always a superior defender as well with Davis showing no signs of improvement, this is a case of Luis Rojas riding the hot hand, bat, and glove.

It’s a little curious because if you look at the statistics, Davis is still having a fine year. He has one of the best batting averages on the team. But this is deceiving.

Although he hit .282/.384/.394 in August, it was a rather lackluster contribution. Davis isn’t swatting home runs with authority like we came to expect. He’s getting his hits and reaching base but also striking out a lot. He went down on strikes 29 times in only 86 plate appearances during August.

The clutch gene hasn’t been present for Davis this year nor has his pair of clutch jeans he picked up from the store in late 2019. The presence of Baez only makes it more difficult to justify putting Davis in the lineup. If the Mets play Just Dingers, they then need to sit Villar and one of the other guys on this list.

For Davis, it seems like the only starts he may get for the rest of the year is against a left-handed starter. And those starts should be his final starts as a Mets player. His fate has been sealed. The Mets are trading him this winter.

Aug 21, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets third baseman Jeff McNeil (6) sits in the dugout as he waits for his first at bat of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The Mets have lost their patience with Jeff McNeil

Most directly impacted by Baez’s presence is former Mets starting second baseman Jeff McNeil. He has seen his time at second base dwindle in recent games. Instead, McNeil is landing over in left field whenever his bat does get into the lineup.

It’s hard to blame the Mets for doing this. McNeil has not been himself all year long. It will be a grind for this once reliable .310+ hitter to even complete the season above the .250 mark.

Versatility in the field has helped saved McNeil from going to the bench for good. He has moved around the diamond and outfield grass throughout his major league career. This might be the only reason why we ever see him start. His bat has certainly not spoken up to justify anything more than the occasional pinch-hitting opportunity.

I really like McNeil but this year has been insanely bad for him. I’m curious if after the year ends we hear he was never fully healthy. He missed a good chunk of change mid-year and never quite got into the hitting groove.

McNeil’s future with the Mets is a bit more mysterious. However, he’s no longer the untouchable top-of-the-order guy we once thought he would be for the next few years. If Baez somehow returns in 2022, it’s probable McNeil gets pushed out.

Because of the Mets lineup shuffling, Dominic Smith’s playing time is going down

As a result of the Mets adding Baez and then moving McNeil to left field every so often, Dominic Smith has seen his starts disappear as well. He has had a miserable year at the plate despite being the only position player on the Opening Day roster to not hit the IL!

This isn’t the 2020 MVP candidate Smith we saw last year. Smith has shown limited home run power and isn’t racking up doubles at a consistent rate. In fact, there’s not much to say about his offense that’s nice at all. Other than coming up with the occasional clutch hit, which we all thank him for, it has been tough to watch him fall apart.

Defensively, Smith has gotten better but he’s nothing special in left field. Still built for first base, whether or not there’s a DH in the National League next year should determine his fate with the Mets.

The problem here is that trading any first baseman other than the elite doesn’t usually net a great return. The free agent market is littered with bad defenders you can plug in at first base—many of whom can hit as well or better than Smith. They also won’t cost as much money and are completely free aside from their salary. Why would a team give up anything in a trade for Smith when they can simply sign a desperate veteran for around $2-3 million?

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Smith isn’t a “must trade” candidate but he’s likely to be someone the club shops if they plan to make major changes this winter.

Home / New York Mets News

The Mets lineup no longer has room for J.D. Davis

The Mets have lost their patience with Jeff McNeil

Because of the Mets lineup shuffling, Dominic Smith’s playing time is going down

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