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The case to make J.D. Davis the Mets DH in 2022

By William Wetzel |
J.D. Davis prepares to swing at a pitch against the New York Yankees.
J.D. Davis prepares to swing at a pitch against the New York Yankees. / Rich Schultz/GettyImages
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As the New York Mets watch the contentious MLB lockout drag on, there is little that the MLBPA and the owners agree on. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned that one thing both sides agreed on was the adoption of the universal designated hitter. Assuming that both sides manage to compromise on an agreement sometime in 2022, that means that the National League will have the designated hitter next season.

Although some National League teams will have a difficult time benefitting from this rule change because of their current rosters, the Mets will not have such a problem and already have several candidates for the designated hitter role on the roster. This article will analyze the case for third baseman J.D. Davis assuming the designated hitter role for the Mets in 2022.

There are three main reasons why Davis would be an excellent choice to be the Mets primary designated hitter. The first reason is that Davis becoming the designated hitter would allow new acquisition Eduardo Escobar to take his natural position in the infield. Escobar is a solid third baseman, and has played that position for several teams during his big league career. The Mets also signed him with the expectation that he would be a regular in the lineup, and because of this, Escobar needs a regular position that would allow him to get the at-bats that the team wants. Taking over third base from Davis makes much logical sense.

The Mets' J.D. Davis is a prime candidate for the designated hitter role for the Mets, given his strengths as a hitter and weaknesses as a defender.

The second main reason is that Davis simply hasn’t been good defensively at third base. Over the past two seasons, Davis has compiled a -1.6 dWAR at the position. Suffice it to say, the Mets could use a defensive upgrade at third base. Escobar provides that, which makes Davis at best the second-best option for the Mets at third. Giving Davis the designated hitter role would improve the team’s defense on the left side of the infield.

The last reason why Davis should be made the designated hitter is that the position would maximize Davis’s strengths. A good part of baseball is putting players in positions to succeed, and that means highlighting their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. The truth is that Davis has been a solid hitter for the Mets during his three-year tenure. He has compiled a .28/.373/.472 batting line with 33 home runs and 99 RBI over 269 games the last three seasons. It’s hard to leave that type of offensive production rotting on the bench. Therefore, inserting Davis as the designated hitter will keep his bat in the lineup, which could be beneficial for a team that has consistently struggled to score runs.

Jeff McNeil stands to lose at-bats if J.D. Davis becomes the permanent designated hitter.
Jeff McNeil stands to lose at-bats if J.D. Davis becomes the permanent designated hitter. / John Fisher/GettyImages

Despite the arguments in favor of Davis being the team’s designated hitter, there are a couple complications that need to be addressed. The first issue with Davis assuming the primary designated hitter role is that superior players would have to lose at-bats in order for this plan to be implemented. In particular, the two players that are likely to lose at-bats with Davis being the designated hitter are Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano, the latter of whom is returning from a year-long drug suspension.

There are a lot of unknown factors at play here. How will Cano perform after not playing for a year? Entering his age-39 season, Cano could easily see a regression in his play. On the other end, he also compiled a batting average over .300 in 2020. If he hits similarly to start off 2022, it’s going to be hard to make him a permanent bench player.

McNeil also hit over .300 in 2020, and he will enter the season as the projected starting second baseman given the fact he is an all-around player, being both a capable defensive infielder and hitter. The fact that both Cano and McNeil are left-handed hitters also makes them valuable to the team’s lineup.

Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano will sacrifice playing time with Davis serving as the primary designated hitter. Do the Mets really want to do that?

So the big question is: are the Mets really better off with Davis getting the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter, even if it means McNeil and Cano will have to sacrifice at-bats and starts? Personally, I still believe McNeil and Cano are better overall players than Davis. Although McNeil had a down year in 2021, he is more versatile in the field, plays better defense, and has better speed. The only advantage Davis has over McNeil is in the power department. Davis has clobbered 33 home runs over 269 games for the Mets, whereas McNeil, who is not known for his power, has hit 34 home runs in three years, but it took him 305 games to make that mark.

Cano, meanwhile, beats Davis at his own strength. Cano has hit 33 home runs over a span of 239 games the past three seasons in which he played. If he returns to the Mets in good shape and produces, Cano’s contract makes it more likely that the team will give him more of the designated hitter reps over Davis.

There are both strong arguments for and against J.D. Davis becoming the team's designated hitter in 2022.
There are both strong arguments for and against J.D. Davis becoming the team's designated hitter in 2022. / Sarah Stier/GettyImages

The Mets are in an unique position with the inevitable adoption of the universal designated hitter. Because of the many players the team currently has on the roster that can slide into this role naturally, the Mets have numerous options at who to staff at the position, and they can choose to be creative filling this new position.

Davis is one of those options. As it was explored in this article, Davis is a prototype designed hitter: with a below-average glove but a slightly above-average bat, he is best utilized in pinch-hitting situations that don’t result in him taking the field. Over his Mets tenure, Davis has simply committed too many errors at the position to be regularly counted on at the hot corner defensively.

Although the designated hitter debate will rage on until the 2022 season starts, installing J.D. Davis as the primary designated hitter may be a good decision for the Mets.

Of course, by giving Davis the designated hitter spot, this would create an issue as to what to do with Robinson Cano. However, although that concern is relevant, it is not enough to dismiss the benefits of having Davis in the designated hitter spot. It could also potentially be beneficial for Davis’s career. One of the reasons that the Mets found it difficult to find trade partners for Davis is because of his poor defense, and the limited number of designated hitter jobs in the league. With 15 more designated hitters, Davis’s value could potentially increase and help the Mets down the line if given a chance to produce at the designated hitter position.

As a result, the verdict is that there is a stronger argument for Davis to assume the designated hitter position than not.

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