Spring training offers players on the outskirts of a 40-man roster the chance to earn a spot with the big-league club on Opening Day, but also offers fans glimpses of false hope.
Fifty or so at-bats is hardly enough to evaluate how a player will perform when the games begin to count, but nevertheless, both New York teams have seen players put up monster springs with eye-popping numbers in recent years. Some of that production translated to the regular season, while others proved to be misleading, so say the least.
With that, here’s a look at a Yankees and Mets all-time spring training lineup from over the past decade, and how those players fared once the real games got going:
Greg Bird, Yankees, 2017 & 2019
Bird’s spring training numbers in 2017 are truly otherworldly, and coming off a season-ending injury in 2016, Yankee fans were ecstatic to see the team’s hyped first base prospect showing no signs of rust when he came out and smashed an absurd eight home runs and seven doubles in 51 at-bats, tallying a 1.654 OPS (he slugged 1.098 that spring!).
How did that translate? Well, a ball off the foot led to a season’s worth of frustrating injuries that was finally addressed midseason, and while he hit just .190 in 48 games, he did return to have an impact in the Yanks’ postseason run. Two years later, after more injuries, Bird gave fans hope again with seven extra-base hits and a 1.143 OPS in 2019, but he would appear in just 10 games that season, and that was it for his major league career (at least for now).
Yoenis Cespedes, Mets, 2017-18
Talk about another New York star who saw his career derailed by lower-body injuries. Cespedes came out for spring training in 2017, fresh off an All-Star season, and went on a tear, hitting five home runs in 48 at-bats to post an OPS of 1.225. The following spring, Cespedes was at it again, hitting six dingers in just 34 at-bats, good for a 1.251 OPS.
Of course, injuries followed, making his spring surges nothing more than a tease. In those two regular seasons, Cespedes appeared in just 119 games, though he was productive when actually on the field, putting up a 132 OPS+ across those two campaigns.
Francisco Cervelli, Yankees, 2014
The Yankees brought in Brian McCann to be the starting catcher prior to the 2014 season, but Cervelli came out in spring playing like he should be the one behind the plate on Opening Day. While McCann posted a .599 OPS, Cervelli shined in 37 at-bats, hitting four home runs to help finish with a 1.261 OPS. The good news for the Yankees was that Cervelli’s hot hitting actually did translate to the regular season, as he played 49 games as backup catcher and hit .301 with a 127 OPS+, the highest mark of his career in which he played at least 45 games.
Yangervis Solarte, Yankees, 2014
While Cervelli was raking in the catcher spot, Solarte was making his case to be a starter in the Yankee infield in 2014. With Alex Rodriguez serving a season-long suspension, Solarte came out on fire in spring training, batting .429 with a pair of home runs across 42 at-bats, helping him earn regular playing time in the regular season.
So, did that hot hand carry over? Not so much, but Solarte was around league average at the plate for the Yanks, posting a 104 OPS+ in 75 games before he was traded midseason for Chase Headley.
Curtis Granderson, Mets, 2015
Granderson had a disappointing first season with the Mets in 2014, posting a .714 OPS in 155 games, but he came out looking to turn things around in the spring of 2015, when he mashed eight extra-base hits in 52 at-bats, including three home runs, and finished the spring with a .442 batting average and a 1.243 OPS.
Did it translate? Not that exact kind of production of course, but Granderson was indeed much better in 2015, hitting 26 home runs and finishing with an .821 OPS, his highest since 2011, when he led the league in RBI for the Yankees.
John Mayberry, Mets, 2015
Another Mets outfielder was tearing the cover off the ball in the spring of 2015, with Mayberry opening eyes to the tune of a .415 batting average and a 1.155 OPS across 53 at-bats. With that performance, Mayberry figured to be at least a platoon option for the Mets that season.
Unfortunately for Mayberry, he stopped hitting entirely when meaningful games began, batting .164 with three home runs and 33 strikeouts across 110 at-bats before he was released on July 30. Those would be his final games in the big leagues.
Rob Refsnyder, Yankees, 2015
Staying in 2015 for one more stop as we revisit some Refsnyder hype that turned out to be nothing more than unwarranted excitement. Refsnyder was talked up by many as he rose through the minor league ranks, and that hype appeared to have some validity after the infielder batted .364 with a 1.030 OPS that spring, hitting six doubles in 44 at-bats. Still, Refsnyder began the season in the minors, and arrived in the Bronx on July 11, where he went 0-for-3 against Boston.
Refsnyder compiled 47 plate appearances that season and batted .302 with a pair of home runs, and even got the start in the Wild Card game against Houston, the Yankees’ first playoff game since 2012. But Refsnyder never panned out, and has yet to play more than 58 games in a season. He appeared in 15 with the Rangers in 2020.
Travis d’Arnaud, Mets, 2018
The Mets’ catching situation was a disaster in 2018, but it didn’t start that way.
Travis d’Arnaud, after posting his best offensive season in 2017 with 16 home runs in 112 games, came out strong in the spring of 2018, hitting three home runs and three doubles in 36 at-bats to finish spring training with a 1.109 OPS. Still, Kevin Plawecki got a lot of looks behind the plate, and as for d’Arnaud, he was sidelined after just four regular season games, and Tommy John surgery ended his season. With Plawecki also injured, the Mets were left with just Tomas Nido at catcher.
Pete Alonso, Mets, 2019
Alonso got more looks than any other Met in the spring of 2019, getting a team-high 71 at-bats, and for good reason. Alonso finished his spring with a 1.006 OPS, four home runs and a total of 10 extra-base hits. With that spring performance, he had clearly earned himself the starting job at first base in 2019.
So, did those gaudy numbers carry over? They did! Alonso had a historic season, topping Aaron Judge for the most home runs in a rookie season by swatting 53 dingers in 161 games, compiling a .941 OPS and was named National League Rookie of the Year. He also won the 2019 Home Run Derby.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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