Curtis Granderson paying off for Mets after terrible start

In his typical manner of deflecting anything that can be perceived as an excuse, Curtis Granderson won’t buy into the notion his slow start in 2014 was related to the time he missed with injuries last year.

Granderson, ever the scientist, would like to have a control group before reaching that conclusion. But the fact he had never missed significant time before last season, makes any comparison impossible.

Whether it was the games missed or just needing time to adjust to a new league and team, the 33-year-old outfielder, after a brutal start with the Mets, is finally playing to the potential that last winter earned him a four-year contract worth $60 million.

In June, he has been the Mets’ best player. For the month, he has a .469 on-base percentage and is hitting .344 with three homers and nine RBIs — numbers he will take into a two-game series against Oakland that begins Tuesday at Citi Field.

“Spring training, the swings were feeling fine and everything was going good and all of a sudden baseball being baseball, you go into a groove where the swing isn’t where you want it to be, but you continue to keep working,” Granderson said. “For whatever reason, at the start of spring everything was fine and for whatever reason at the start of the season things weren’t.”

It was an April that ended with Granderson batting only .145, and hearing boos at Citi Field. And yet, the manner in which Granderson carried himself during his struggles, teammates say, is indistinguishable from now.

“I’ve never seen anybody more even-keeled,” David Wright said. “It’s pretty amazing. You would never be able to tell by his demeanor in the dugout if he was 4-for-4 or 0-for-4. It’s amazing.

New York Mets’ Curtis Granderson smiles as he stands on second after hitting a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, June 17, 2014AP

“You say that about a lot of people, but I’ve never seen it to the extent he is, how positive and how energetic, enthusiastic he is. It’s impressive and I think everybody should at least try to learn from him.”

Granderson played only 73 games last season for the Yankees because of a broken wrist and finger in two separate incidents. Manager Terry Collins is the biggest proponent of the theory Granderson simply needed to begin playing again every day for a return to form.

“This game can be hard if you don’t play it and sit out as long as he did last year,” Collins said. “He’s had to get back in the flow of things. That’s what I see. He’s swinging good, he’s getting on base. That’s why I moved him ahead of [Wright] in the lineup. I just thought if he hits ahead of David we have a chance to score.”

But that move to the leadoff spot likely won’t be permanent with Juan Lagares expected to return from the disabled list this week. Eric Young Jr. is also an option to bat leadoff.

“I’m happy wherever they put me,” Granderson said. “I’ve done it a lot, obviously, early in my career. You only lead off once a game, so if it happens to be that way, great. If they have to move me around again, 4, 5, 6 in the order, it really doesn’t matter to me.”

Wright has been a force over the last seven games — he’s 12-for-27 (.444) — marking the first time this season he and Granderson have flourished simultaneously. But Wright also understands more contributions are needed to resurrect this underperforming Mets lineup.

“We can’t just have one guy or two guys swinging, it’s got to be everywhere,” Wright said.
“We’ve got to get to the point where guys who are hitting down in the lineup are dangerous outs and can swing the bat and be productive.”