New York Mets Q&A with Danny Abriano of Rising Apple

David Wright. Image Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

In preparation for this weekend’s series against the New York Mets, I asked a few questions to Danny Abriano, an editor at FanSided’s Mets site Rising Apple.

1. The Mets rank near the bottom of the NL in home runs. Are they under performing, or is there simply not that much power potential on the roster?

I don’t expect the Mets to be one of the better home run hitting teams in the league, but their slow start is a bit of an anomaly. Part of it has to do with playing lots of cold-weather games at Citi Field. In addition, Curtis Granderson started slowly but has started to heat up, Chris Young missed a few weeks, and David Wright has yet to get into a groove.

2. How concerned are you with David Wright’s slow start?

I’m really not at all concerned about Wright. He’s hitting the ball hard, but has yet to get rewarded for it. His line drive percentage is above 26 percent, higher than it was in 2013. Wright has recently started spraying doubles, which is usually a sign that he’s about to break out power-wise.

3. Travid d’Arnaud was once a top Phillies prospect. How has he looked and should the Phillies lament trading him away?

Travis d’Arnaud

Travis d’Arnaud started the season incredibly slow, but has since picked up the pace. It’s way too soon to judge him, since he’s had less than 200 at-bats in the majors. His BABIP is insanely low, so he’s due to ascend to the mean sooner rather than later. One thing that can be judged is his defensive ability, which has been a major plus. His pitch-framing ability has also been stellar.

4. Jenrry Mejia is 3-0, but has pitched poorly in his last couple of outings? Is he is danger of being removed from the rotation?

Mejia was tremendous in three of his first four starts, and has had what amounts to two bad innings over his last two starts – one that came at Coors Field. The club is talking about removing him from the rotation if he continues to struggle, which would be a very rash decision. Mejia has the stuff to be a top of the rotation starter, and pulling the plug so quickly would be foolish. However, there are some in the organization who say that Mejia shifting to the bullpen would be a reflection of the Mets’ needs in the pen – not an indictment on Mejia as a starter.

5. Prediction for the series?

David Wright is in a career-long home run drought. Expect that to change this weekend.

Thanks to Danny! Make sure to follow him on Twitter (@D_Abriano) and check out Rising Apple for the latest in New York Mets news and opinions.