The Best Shape of His Life - Spring Training 2017

[Centerfield]

Travis d'Arnaud is already in Port St. Lucie. He's been working with Glenn Sherlock and already seeing results.

http://nypost.com/2017/01/31/mets-need-their-catching-guru-to-make-travis-darnaud-a-force/

He's also been working with Kevin Long. And this bit is promising:

The dreaded bat-wrap — on which he starts with the bat in front of his head, pointing at the pitcher, and then comes all the way around his body, making it a longer swing — is history and d’Arnaud is expecting more quickness and consistency at the plate. He hit only four home runs and drove in 15 runs in 2016 over 251 at-bats as his OPS dropped from .825 to .629.

[Edgy MD]

It was really dis-spiriting last season when he declared he was sticking with his swing because, if I recall, he said it was easier to make 1,000 minor adjustments to one thing than make a major adjustment 1,000 times. The logic seemed as ill-advised as the swing it defended, and I just got the idea that the remaining portion of the season (7 weeks?) would see no change. And there was no change.

I hated to be so pessimistic, because obviously, there are some hitters (some good hitters) who get away with the wrap. But for some reason, it all seemed such a doomed path for d'Arnaud.

Fangraphs looks at this swing closely (really closely) here.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Interesting dArnaud piece and a good reminder of how hard it is to hit even for excellent athletes, and in reminding you that TdA actually was a good hitter once, almost encouraging.

Tuefel in his remarks at the QBC said TdA "checked out mentally" last summer. Perhaps his upcoming nups gets him straightened out again, as would some good health.

[Centerfield]

Did Teufel mention any reason why he may have checked out? You would think a guy cracks into the bigs you stay focused for a while.

That analysis is pretty cool. Agree that it's encouraging. Especially this part:

Projection systems don’t see mechanical flaws, and if d’Arnaud can cut down on the bat wrap and more frequently put himself into a primed position to hit, he may be able to erase that massive performance drop-off from this year.

[Frayed Knot]

Today's guest on 'Best Shape of My Life' is our maybe future 1st sacker Dom Smith. Hey, he wasn't out of shape, round is a shape!!

Anyway, this here BSoML episode involves a reported 24 pound weight loss for the now-reformed (or so he claims) self-admitted junk food junkie -- from 258 down to "in the neighborhood of" 234 since the end of last season. Still not 'slim' for a 6-footer, but a step in the right direction courtesy of a month in Michigan with Mike Barwis then two months of additional training and diet alteration back in California.

[Frayed Knot]

David Wright and Zack Wheeler both threw baseballs today.
That's something resembling progress I suppose.

[Lefty Specialist]

Wright threw 30 throws of 60-70 feet indoors away from cameras. I understand that the Mets didn't want him to be embarrassed in case he was tossing lollypops sidearm, but hard to believe he'll be ready to answer the bell on April 3rd.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[tweet:3rvv57sf]

[/tweet:3rvv57sf]

boi-oi-oi-oing

[Centerfield]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: [tweet]https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/834087245791498240[/tweet] boi-oi-oi-oing

Awesome. Lucas Duda is going to hit 85 HR's this year.

He's also going to steal 3 bases.

[Ceetar]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Wright threw 30 throws of 60-70 feet indoors away from cameras. I understand that the Mets didn't want him to be embarrassed in case he was tossing lollypops sidearm, but hard to believe he'll be ready to answer the bell on April 3rd.

why? I mean, besides the obvious. I still content April is probably the best chances we have for Wright appearances because it's the daily grind and degenerative nature of the condition that's likely to do him in.

But we've got what, 41 more days? that's a really really long time and I'm sure the Mets don't really want or need him doing full, meaningless, workouts in February.

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: He's also going to steal 3 bases.

Don't get CRAZY, now.

[Edgy MD]

The Daily News says, "Travis d’Arnaud is making the Mets giddy with his revamped swing."

I think it's good also. I mean 9 hits with two homers was a good month for him last year. But the guy whose found his swing is also the guy who lost it, so he and they need to stick with the program, especially if he gets hurt and needs to find that swing again after a layoff.

"I'm able to see the ball longer and not have to cheat to get to certain pitches,'' d'Arnaud said. "I've shortened the swing up so it's more direct and I don't have to overcommit too soon."

Patzachry! He has liberated himself and he stands as a beacon of freedom to all.

[fimg=450]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2990168.1488842196!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_750/harperweb7s-2-web.jpg[/fimg]

[Guest 41Forever]

He hit a bomb today and signed my Mets book! I'm feeling good about his season.

[Edgy MD]

Toronto reliever T.J. House was taken away off the field in an ambulance after being hit on the head by a line drive up the middle. Hope he is OK.

On a less traumatic note, Albert Pujols looks fat.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: On a less traumatic note, Albert Pujols looks fat.

That's funny because one of the sports websites (can't find it) had a story in the last 2 or 3 days about what a great baserunner he is because of his high steal percentage.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Albert Pujols has truly been a great baserunner over the course of his career. He's older now and less able, but young Pujols had that part of the game down to a science. I don't see much of him in the American League, but if his instincts are half as good, good for him.