1 past NY Mets player who would have been criticized more if he played today

The New York Mets may have had past players who were disappointing based on their field performances, but many aspects of baseball have changed since then. If there is any former player who anyone could imagine playing today and facing more criticism, Ike Davis is a prime example.

Although there were good moments throughout his time with the Mets from 2010 to early 2014, Davis' offensive struggles were exposed in the first halves of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, and he was eventually sent down to the minor leagues in 2013. Statistically, in the 2013 season, he had a .205 batting average with 101 strikeouts in 103 major league games. Thus, he was critiqued by the fan base and the media.

Ike Davis would've gotten critiqued more if he played today

Given everything that has transpired in Major League Baseball regarding rule changes, including the implementation of the pitch clock, who knows if Davis would've handled it all well. With the way he struggled offensively, constantly having trouble with certain pitches like the off-speed ones and thus striking out a lot, could he have dealt with being ready to hit in the batter's box by eight seconds on the clock?

There was also a game in August 2013 where Davis swung at a pitch and hurt his oblique, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. Beforehand, he was sort of getting it together after returning from the minor leagues, but that's another aspect of the pitch clock that would've been interesting to see him handle if he played today. He may not have been able to deal with risking another injury just from swinging the bat, and having to move quickly in between pitches doesn't help.

On the other hand, Davis' defensive skills were inconsistent. He was a solid defender in his first two seasons with the Mets but has struggled badly since. In 2012, his UZR was -2.6, followed by -2.4 in 2013 and -1.2 in 2014 with two teams combined. If those defensive struggles had shifted to today, it would've shown people that he likely wouldn't be able to get himself ready on the field for a pitch to be thrown within a time limit.

First baseman are seemingly valued less than ever before now. As a result, Davis would have a short leash, a lot of social media hate, and the need for some thicker skin to get through a season.