New York Mets’ slugger J.D. Davis has been on a major league mound before. Could he throw a few innings for the Mets in 2020?
New York Mets fans can laugh at the idea of J.D. Davis pitching all they want, but there’s a very real possibility that it does happen.
If you’re looking for proof, look no further than Davis taking reps out of the stretch in training camp.
Now pitching for the New York Mets, #28…
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— SNY (@SNYtv) February 13, 2020
Davis may not be throwing hard in this video or even off a mound, but that shouldn’t matter. He has a history of pitching in MLB games and he’s taking pitching reps; that’s enough.
Davis threw 2.2 innings for the Houston Astros over 2017 and 2018. He gave up one run and struck out four in that span. His fastball reaches up to 94 mph on the mound. He knows what he’s doing out there.
He struck out Khris Davis and Marcus Semien back-to-back in a game against the Oakland Athletics.
Under the new rules, J.D. Davis wouldn’t be able to pitch until after the ninth inning or the Mets would have to be winning or losing by at least six runs. That would need to continue until Davis hits 20 innings pitched.
Once he hits 20 innings pitched and 20 starts as a position player he can be designated as a two-way player. A two-way player would be allowed to hit or pitch whenever their team wants to use them. Basically acting as a ninth man in the bullpen and a fifth man on the bench.
Currently, only two players are eligible to be designated two-way players, Shohei Ohtani and Michael Lorenzen. It’ll be interesting to see if new manager Luis Rojas and the New York Mets plan to turn Davis into a two-way player.
It would certainly help the team’s bullpen depth or lack thereof. It’s just something to keep an eye on as spring training kicks.