Why these 3 Mets free agent additions will have a better year in 2023

2) NY Mets outfielder Tommy Pham will benefit from situational at-bats

Tommy Pham is another veteran free agent signing coming off of a down year. He has had a couple of them in a row. It’s probably closer to the player he is now than anything else. The .236/.312/.374 slash line from last season is okay for a part-time player. With the Mets possibly planning to only start him every so often and mostly against left-handed pitchers, Pham might put up some fatter numbers.

Despite the struggles at the plate last season, Pham continued to excel against left-handed pitchers. A weakness for many Mets players, the .273/.338/.446 he slashed in 154 plate appearances would be a welcomed addition to this lineup. Exactly replicating those numbers would be an immense help.

His career numbers are even better versus southpaws. In 918 chances, Pham’s lifetime slash line is .276/.392/.450 versus lefties. It’s the kind of production the Mets had a tough time finding in 2022 from that side of the plate in a part-time role.

Injuries could thrust Pham into more frequent action than planned resulting in more frequent appearances versus right-handed pitchers. Either way, performing well in his fourth outfielder role is all we’ll need from him. It’s a step down from the starter gig he has been playing for several years.