PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright came to this camp with the express purpose of getting back into the swing. He has done that by using his legs more and driving the ball. He’s hitting home runs again, though he says he’s not fixated on home runs.
More importantly, he’s pulling balls into the gaps, like his first-inning RBI double in yesterday’s 10-inning, 7-5 loss to the Nationals at Digital Domain Park. Wright was 3-for-3, all rockets.
This all comes down to Hitting 101. To crush it, don’t rush it, but make sure you are attacking the baseball.
“He’s getting started earlier, that’s why he’s able to pull the ball,” explained Jeff Francoeur, who has spent a lot of time with Wright talking about hitting, as well as the NCAA tournament, which is the main topic of conversation in the clubhouse these days.
“I told him if you pull the ball, it’s going to open up the whole other side of the field for you, and that’s what he did today,” Francoeur noted. “That opens it up big time.”
Wright is going to be challenged with fastballs. He’s going to have to beat that challenge. That’s why they call it hardball.
“They’re going to come in on him, they’re going to brush him back,” Francoeur said. “If he can do what he did today, he’ll be back to doing what he’s always done.”
For Wright it’s all about not letting the pitch get in on you and then happy slapping it the other way. Take a man cut, and see what happens. Hit line drives.
“I could hit a hundred home runs,” Wright said. “I don’t base whether or not I have a good season on how many home runs I hit. I don’t think that’s the judge on my game. I’d like to think that I can do a little bit of everything.”
Wright hit his fourth home run of the spring Friday. His three hits yesterday pushed his average to .317. Wright is aware of the importance of home runs. He knows they are vital to a team’s success. The Mets hit only 95 last season, the fewest in the major leagues. Wright hit only 10 home runs, down from 33 from the previous season.
“It’s good to hit home runs every now and then,” Wright said. “It’s a good momentum changer. I think it’s something that would be welcome to this team. You hit a home run, it’s a big momentum shift.”
Citi Field though is a different animal. In many ways it’s a home run jinx of a field. You have to take what the place gives you or else it will eat you alive. At least now Wright and the rest of the Mets know what to expect on their home field.
“It’s better this year going in there,” Wright said.
“Not so much the actual park,” he said, “but you know, the playing surface, the way the ball bounces off the wall, you know the way the ball bounces off the backstop, everything.”
Wright has had a determined camp.
“Last year I didn’t get a spring,” he said. “Last year we were doing the WBC thing so I didn’t get the chance to really do what I normally do to get ready for the season.”
He got his WBC at-bats, but he wasn’t able to work on all the little aspects of hitting because of the games and he didn’t have hitting coach Howard Johnson around.
“You have to maintain some kind of focus this last week, it’s easy to look ahead and start trying to get ready for Opening Day and create some bad habits with a week left,” Wright said.