It has been lost amid the team’s incredible start and massive struggles that followed. The lack of production from promising young players Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario, and shaky starting pitching after Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
But nearly two months into this season, Jay Bruce has been a flop, and he knows it.
“I really haven’t hit my stride yet. I need to play better, and I expect to,” he said before the Mets rallied to knock off the Diamondbacks, 5-4, and win back-to-back games for the first time since April 11-13. “Obviously, I expect much more out of myself.”
He showed signs of breaking out of his funk Saturday night, singling in his last two at-bats. Still, the power-hitting outfielder has been mostly powerless, notching just 12 extra-base hits in 132 at-bats. He isn’t hitting much for average either, batting .235 with a pedestrian .313 on-base percentage, and an anemic .692 OPS. He’s driven in just two runs this month. He’s been as big a reason as any the Mets are second-to-last in the National League in runs scored (169) and third-to-last in home runs (39).
Yet, the notoriously-streaky Bruce, who has managed just three home runs and 14 RBIs, doesn’t seem concerned. He has these valleys every season. His timing is just off, he’s not driving the ball. He’s missing his pitches. It has nothing to do with the plantar fasciitis in his left foot that bothered him in April.
“There’s a stretch like this for me every single season,” said Bruce, who signed a three-year, $39 million deal in the offseason to return to the Mets after he was traded to the Indians on Aug. 9 of last season. “It’s a lot easier when you start off hot and start off well. The numbers are much more pretty up on the board. But you can’t pay attention to it.You have to keep on pushing forward.”
But with the Mets struggling despite winning the first two games of this series, with Yoenis Cespedes (right hip flexor strain) and Todd Frazier (left hamstring strain) on the disabled list, and Juan Lagares (torn plantar plate left big toe) likely done of the season, he is needed more than ever.
“No one has more expectations, or higher expectations, than I do — the fans, the media, whoever,” Bruce said. “I expect the most out of myself.”
He started to provide it on Saturday.
