(AUDACY) When it rains, it pours.
The Mets are having a rough one right now, falling seven games back of the NL East-leading Braves while battling injuries, COVID-19 troubles and now a PR catastrophe as second baseman Javier Baez and shortstop Francisco Lindor have antagonized the team's fan base. Baez and Lindor didn't do anything too outrageous, merely giving a thumbs-down gesture in response to hecklers, but clearly it didn't sit well with the organization, prompting the Mets to issue a statement reprimanding both players for being "unprofessional."
Baez has gotten plenty of grief for his stunt against Washington on Sunday, especially given his ineffectiveness since joining the Mets in late July. He's slashing .210/.258/.452 with 22 strikeouts in 62 at-bats with New York. To say the 28-year-old Baez is limping into free agency would be an understatement, and this revealing stat from ESPN producer Paul Hembekides shows the full extent of Baez's decline, which dates back to early last season.
In that sample size, Baez has hit .226 with an alarming 35% strikeout rate, the second-highest in the majors during that stretch. Only Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo (251) and Twins slugger Miguel Sano (228) have logged more strikeouts over that span. To Gallo's credit, just two players in MLB — Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich — have walked at a higher clip (17.2%) since July 29, 2020.
Baez, who went viral a week ago for swinging at a pitch that didn't even sniff the strike zone, embodies the other extreme. Of 119 qualified MLB players, only Royals catcher Salvador Perez (3.3% walk rate) and Angels shortstop Jose Iglesias (3.6) have exhibited worse plate discipline when it comes to walks than Baez (3.8%) in his last 162 games.
Baez is still hitting for power (32 homers, 92 RBIs in that timeframe) and defended his position well enough to earn National League Gold Glove honors last season, but his league-worst contact rate (62.7% since July 29, 2020) casts further doubt on his ability to be a franchise cornerstone. We know Lindor and Baez, both natives of Puerto Rico, have long dreamed of playing together in the Big Apple, but if Baez's struggles persist, don't count on Mets owner Steve Cohen paying top dollar for him in free agency.
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