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LAKEWOOD, Calif. — Spring training will be here before you know it and from the look of his swing yesterday, so will Mets’ premier catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.
The confident — but not boastful — d’Arnaud plans on winning a job with the Mets in spring training.
“I believe in myself, that’s pretty much it,’’ d’Arnaud told me in his no-nonsense way after his impressive batting practice at his alma mater, Lakewood High School. “I can’t wait. I am going to play as hard as I can every day, do everything I can to help the team win.
“Hopefully, I can make it.’’
His father, Lance, echoed those sentiments: “Travis will be at spring training to fight to leave on that plane with the major league club.’’
Believe me, after spending time with d’Arnaud and those close to him, this kid is a keeper in every way, along the lines of a David Wright.
Listen to what his legendary high school coach Spud O’Neil told me: “Travis is one of the brightest kids we’ve ever had. He is a big-time natural leader who helped all the younger kids. He always knew [the majors] is where he wanted to be. … The Mets have a great find. They don’t even know what they have in Travis.’’
The Mets will most likely have d’Arnaud begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas to form the battery of the future with pitcher Zack Wheeler. Having d’Arnaud spend the first 20 days in the minors will start the free-agent clock one year later as well.
Make no mistake, d’Arnaud (pronounced Dar-No) is here to help the Mets now. He turns 24 next month. When he does arrive, he plans on staying a long, long time.
Immediately after he was acquired from the Blue Jays in last month’s R.A. Dickey trade, d’Arnaud received a congratulatory call from Wright.
“He was actually out of the country at a wedding and I was honored that he even thought about calling me,” Travis said. “He’s such a great guy in New York. I can’t wait to meet him face to face.’’
That will be in early February when Travis heads to Port St. Lucie for spring training.
He already has interacted with Mets fans on Twitter, especially regarding the pronunciation of his last name. “The last ‘d’ is silent,’’ he explained, adding with a smile: “Someone today said it is like the movie ‘Django,’ the ‘d’ is silent and I lost it.
“I can’t wait to play [in New York]’’ d’Arnaud added. “It’s great being in a city where baseball is the No. 1 sport. It’s what I grew up with. I’m just really excited. I love this game, it’s treated me very well. … I’m going to keep focused and love the game like I have my whole life and have fun.’’
If he must start the season at Triple-A, where he was dominating last season with the Blue Jays before injuring his knee June 25, d’Arnaud will take the same competitive, mature, intelligent mind set to the minors.
“I don’t think about expectations,’’ he said. “I concentrate on what I can control.’’
Asked what kind of player the Mets will be getting, d’Arnaud offered this scouting report: “A smart player, who knows the game really well, understands team chemistry and how important it is.’’
There are so many reasons why d’Arnaud is built for success.
“Travis is kind of this quiet Goliath,’’ his dad explained. “He likes to move forward in kind of a confident way. He’s not very boastful, but he’s got more confidence than any player that I’ve ever coached.
“Most every team he’s played on, he’s wound up being a leader, even though he is not a verbal leader, just the way he conducts himself on the field.’’
If not for that knee injury that occurred when he was breaking up a first-inning double play with runners on first and third and one out (“You have to get the run in,’’ Travis said.) he would have been called up to the majors.
At the time he was hitting .333 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs in 279 at-bats. He is now completely healthy. He can dunk a basketball again. His right-handed hitting stroke is so smooth and he has the power to hit it out to all fields.
His father turned Travis into a catcher at the age of 11.
“Gosh, once he started catching he was a natural,’’ Lance said.
He set his own hours to coach his two sons — Travis and Chase, 25, who is an infielder with the Pirates. Lance’s wife, Marita, is an elementary school teacher. They have a daughter, Lindsey, a high school volleyball player.
Travis is quick to credit his family for his mature ways, especially Chase, who is in Bradenton, Fla., this week at Pirates mini-camp.
“I learned so much from Chase, he was a big role model for me,’’ Travis said.
Lance d’Arnaud owns a rocking 1998 Sinister Blue Harley-Davidson Road King. When he chose the license plate back when the kids were in Little League he picked these prophetic words: THEBIGS.
Both kids could be in The Bigs soon. “Subliminally, I think it had an impact,’’ Lance said. “Like, ‘Hey, maybe dad has these big dreams about us,’ but I didn’t force anything on them.’’
While a sophomore in high school, Travis told his dad: “I’m going to be a big-league player.’’
“My dad’s goal in life was to coach his two sons in Little League, so this is really unbelievable,’’ Travis said. “My mom always made sure I kept working hard. I couldn’t ask for better parents. The love and support from my family helped so much.’’
Travis grew up a Dodgers fan, specifically of Mike Piazza. “I loved everything about him,’’
Travis said, noting Piazza should be in the Hall of Fame.
Lance is quick to credit Travis’ youth coaches for establishing a code of success and teaching him the unique skills to be a catcher. He mentioned Toby Hess, who is now the baseball coach at Long Beach Poly High School and another coach, John Buck, who works for the city of Lakewood.
Because of the down economy, Lance had time to go back east and watch his sons play in the minors.
“I hit the credit card hard,’’ Lance said with a smile. “But how lucky can a dad get? The first time I went back there [in 2008] they played against each other.’’
Chase recently purchased a home a few blocks from his parents. Travis rents an apartment nearby. At the parents’ home there is an area on the second floor called the Wonder Wall, featuring trophies and mementos.
“This all seems kind of surreal to me,’’ Lance said, looking over the hardware.
Lance drove that Harley of his to Chase’s games at Pepperdine University and made the journey to the motorcycle mecca of Sturgis, S.D., along with two friends, Pat Rooney and Joe Mancuso, who just happen to live in Staten Island. So Chase already has two great fans in New York.
That list will soon explode just as the ball exploded off Travis’ bat yesterday with his free and easy swing.
Lakewood, a suburb of Long Beach, was recognized as California Sports Town, USA by Sports Illustrated in 2005. It is an area rich in athletics. If you stop by the local McDonalds you will see a magnificently crafted Hall of Fame for local athletes. In 2007, Travis was named the co-athlete of the year, along with basketball star James Harden, who went to Artesia High School and is now with the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
As a sophomore in high school, Travis picked up the nickname “Cricket’’ because on a hit-and-run play, he swung at a bouncing ball that landed three feet in front of home plate and knocked the errant pitch deep into right field, just as a cricket batsman might.
O’Neil’s Lakewood Lancers are known for having all nine players race onto the field and be set in their defensive positions before the opposing team is even off the field. Travis d’Arnaud hustles. It is no coincidence back at the Wonder Wall there is a picture autographed to Lance from “Pete Rose, Charlie Hustle.’’
Travis’ catching philosophy is all about helping the pitcher. “I learn each individual’s personality,’’ he said. “I learn how they each like to pitch, how they need to be treated, if they’re struggling or doing well. I’m always there for them.’’
Lakewood High is a classic-looking California high school; just picture the school from the movie “Grease.” On the sign in front of the school are these words: “Today’s Lancers, Tomorrow’s Leaders.’’
The Mets have a natural leader in Travis d’Arnaud. It is only a matter of time before he takes over behind the plate and this struggling club finally
catches its rising star.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com