Bench:
L, Kelly Johnson IF/OF (.265, 14 HRs)
R, Wilmer Flores IF (.262, 16 HRs)
R, Juan Uribe IF (.253, 14 HRs)
R, Michael Cuddyer 1B/OF (.267, 10 HRs)
R, Kevin Plawecki C (.224, 3 HRs)
Terry Collins will more than likely go with a five-man bench consisting of one left-handed batters and four right-handed batters. The fifth bench spot is reserved for the backup catcher, Kevin Plawecki.
Kelly Johnson (.250, 5 homers) is a lock. Juan Uribe, assuming he gets healthy, is also a lock. Uribe has proven to be a clutch playoff performer in the past and the Mets will look to him to keep it going. Michael Cuddyer is also a lock. Cuddyer has not been great this year, but has not performed so poorly to be left off the roster. Fan favorite Wilmer Flores, will make the roster. Only because he is the only other shortstop on the roster. Had he been an outfielder, he would be off. But his ability to play multiple infield positions and his clutch hitting gets him on.
Notable position player omissions: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Eric Young Jr., Eric Campbell, and Juan Lagares
One time cleanup hitter Eric Campbell, stolen base extraordinaire Eric Young Jr. and the one year wonder Juan Lagares never see the playoffs. In Young’s case, it is a hard sell to put him on the roster just to steal a base or to pinch run. Could it happen? Sure. But should it? No. Lagares’s only use right now is defensive specialist. Many playoff games are decided in the late innings. On most nights Collins will need his big bats in the outfield to play all nine innings. That leaves little room for Lagares. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is off too. Nieuwenhuis’s best asset is that he would give the Mets second left-handed bat off the bench. But, hitting just .196, is that really an asset?
