NY Mets free agent reunion with Jesse Winker isn’t free of major red flags

Jesse Winker struggle isn’t an uncommon occurrence in his career

Unfortunately, this has been a trend in his career. After an All-Star selection in 2021 in what would be his last year with the Cincinnati Reds, Winker turned in two abysmal years unlike what he had done previously. A lifetime .288/.385/.504 hitter with the Reds, he batted only .219/.344/.344 in his 2022 season with the Seattle Mariners. The change of scenery, going from a bandbox in Cincinnati to the cavern in Seattle certainly didn’t help. He had only 15 doubles and 14 home runs in 547 trips to the plate. The year prior in 485 tries, Winker had a career-high 32 doubles and 24 home runs.

To make matters worse, Winker’s production fell even greater in 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers. A .199/.320/.247 slash line and a single home run in 197 plate appearances was all he could muster thus the contract he signed last offseason with the Nationals to prove himself.

We’d like to think the overall numbers he posted last year is close to what we can expect in 2025. However, a drop from a .793 OPS in Washington to only .683 with New York is alarming. Winker is a guy who has consistently been good at reaching base in his career and yet he performs far better when he isn’t looking for ball four. The 2021 season included a walk rate of 10.9%, the second lowest of his career in any season. His good month with the Mets was practically void of them, too. He seemed to fall into the habit of looking for a free pass in September, a quality that remained strong even in his miserable seasons with Seattle and Milwaukee.