2) NY Mets DH Daniel Vogelbach can help save Billy Eppler’s job this season
Daniel Vogelbach knows a thing or two about Mets fans calling for his job. The struggling DH was always an imperfect fit for the Mets roster. Limited to DH duties with no glove to be seen from him yet since joining the ball club, a resurgence from him can have us wondering if maybe Eppler did make the right move in bringing him back for the 2023 season and then providing him with a long leash.
A pair of 3 RBI games against the Houston Astros plus some other hits versus the St. Louis Cardinals has raised Vogelbach’s stock since coming back from his mental health break. He’s suddenly hitting .230/.354/.363 on the year. For a lifetime .219/.344/.407 hitter, it’s more than what we could’ve hoped to get out of him.
It’s far too soon to award Vogelbach with any Most Improved Player Award. A good week is too little for him to have helped make any impact on what Steve Cohen will do about Eppler after the year. But what if this continues?
Let’s say Vogelbach does get back to being the .255/.393/.436 hitter he was with the Mets last year? The sudden surge in power would provide the Mets with a much more dangerous starting lineup, at least against right-handed pitchers.
This is exactly what Mets fans have been waiting to see from Vogey all year. As much as he gets criticized and his style of play perplexes, fans are willing to embrace him.
The team record will have a lot more to do with whether or not Eppler’s job is secure, however, a vastly improved Vogelbach can be one of those strikes in his favor.