3 Mets players who proved their spring training was a fluke

2) Zack Short

Remember Zack Short? The biggest spring training surprise of all made the club and then the Mets didn’t really know exactly how to use him. Known more for his defense than anything else, we saw him play lackluster defense early on for the Mets. 

In 10 games, 12 plate appearances, and a very forgettable stint with the Mets, the utility man would go just 1 for 9 before the team designated him for assignment. Now employed by the Atlanta Braves after a brief pit stop with the Boston Red Sox, the story hasn’t changed much as he continues to struggle to hit at the big league level.

It was a different story in the spring. Short was 12 for 40 in the preseason exhibition games. His .300/.404/.475 slash line included a home run and 8 RBI. He even walked 7 times while striking out 6. Short did everything you’d want a 26th man on the roster to do. He successfully swiped 3 bases and was never caught.

Reality set in once his playing time diminished and all of those minor league players he got to face in spring training went back to the farm. Short was already a redundant player to have on the roster alongside Joey Wendle. It was an easy call by the Mets to send both packing.