When Yoenis Cespedes returned from the disabled list, it appeared that the odd man out of the New York Mets’ outfield would be Curtis Granderson. Granderson had gotten off to a slow start to the season, batting .136 through May 9th, and the emergence of Michael Conforto looked to dump Granderson into the role of fourth outfielder. Things have taken an interesting turn, however, as Granderson has become one of the hottest hitters on the team in the past six weeks. Granderson drew starts in five consecutive games last week, sending Conforto to the bench in three of those contests, and his hot hitting could allow him to siphon more at bats from Conforto going forward.
Since he bottomed out on May 9th, Granderson has hit .323 with eight homers and 19 RBI’s. Granderson has raised his batting average almost 100 points in the process, entering today’s action hitting .235 on the year. The hot streak from Granderson has coincided with a cold streak from Conforto, who has hit just .207 (18 for 81) since May 25th. Conforto exited Sunday’s game early after being hit by a pitch on his left hand, and he hoped to play tonight after X-Rays on the hand came back negative. Given how well Granderson has been hitting, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Mets give Conforto a day off to ensure that his hand is 100% healthy before he returns to the lineup.
The offensive outburst is nothing surprising for Granderson, who has been a very slow starter in his career and warms up with the weather. Mets’ manager Terry Colins is notably loyal to his veterans, and as long as Granderson is hitting he will continue to find at bats for him. This should serve two purposes for the Mets, giving them a chance to win games by playing the hotter hitter and allowing Granderson to boost his trade value if the Mets do fall out of the race. Collins needs to continue juggling his outfielders so Granderson’s playing time doesn’t just come at the expense of Conforto, who has been the team’s best hitter for most of the season and a key part of their future. The Mets can easily accomplish that by having Granderson play in the outfield four times a week, spelling each of the other outfielders once and letting Jay Bruce play first base once a week instead of Lucas Duda.
The Mets certainly have to be happy with the turnaround from Granderson, who looked like a shell of himself over the course of the first six weeks of the year. Playing center field every day definitely took a toll on the 36 year old Granderson, who has looked refreshed after getting a bit of a break when Cespedes first returned. Granderson has even looked more comfortable atop the lineup, slugging a pair of leadoff homers this week to pass Jose Reyes for the most leadoff homers in Mets’ franchise history. There is no doubt that Granderson has more than earned the four years and 60 million dollars on his contract, which expires after the year is over. Granderson may not finish the season in Queens, but his hot play could give the Mets a nice parting gift in the form of a young prospect in a trade if the team is able to trade him before the deadline.
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