The Mets need Curtis Granderson (3) to perform well on offense. Photo Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
By Jack Etkin, The Sports Xchange
DENVER — Curtis Granderson has been a capable leadoff hitter the past two seasons for the New York Mets. They are counting on the 35-year-old veteran to again fill that role and overcome what has been a brutal month.
Granderson was given Sunday off on the final day of what became a 4-7 road trip when the Mets lost 4-3 to the Colorado Rockies to sweep their three-game series.
Granderson is hitting .132 (7-for-53) in 14 games this month with 18 strikeouts and three walks. After compiling a .347 on-base percentage in April, Granderon’s OBP this month is a mere .179.
“We don’t have a lot of options in my opinion,” manager Terry Collins said before Sunday’s loss. “He has been a guy that does get on because of the base on balls.”
Last year, Granderson drew a career-high 91 walks and averaged one walk every 7.49 plate appearances, helping him score 98 runs, which ranked sixth in the National League and compile a .364 on-base percentage while batting .259.
In 36 games this season, Granderson has drawn 14 walks, an average of one every 11.21 plate appearances. He’s hitting .200 with a .287 OBP.
“Comparing to what he did last year where he was absolutely so dynamic at the top (of the order), he’s not getting the base on balls that he had last year,” Collins said. “His swing’s fine, but last year he would draw those walks, and even when he wasn’t hitting for high average, the base on balls got him on base.”
Collins rested Granderson on Sunday in hopes he can “get some energy back.” Shifting has taken plenty of hits away from Granderson, who hit two balls hard Saturday night that were gobbled up by second baseman DJ LeMahieu in a shift. For Granderson, getting on base more via a walk is related to having more success with pitches he can hit.
“You get walks when you get pitches off the plate that are balls,” he said. “I’m getting more balls on the plate, more pitches that are strikes, whether called strikes or swinging strikes. I got to be able to do something with them. When you do, that’s when you get pitchers to start missing with more balls off the plate. That I haven’t been able to do at this point.”
