Of course the obligatory first post of substance regarding the New York Mets is going to be about the enigma that is Ike Davis. The question really remains as to whether Davis is truly an enigma or Ike is just an overwhelmed athlete with an overall lack of a mechanically-sound swing and hitting approach.
There's two trains of thought here: a) the NY Mets way of thinking, and B) the Tailor Made Double Play way of thinking.
Davis was a highly touted two-way prospect out of both HS and Arizona State University. For all those non-baseball enthusiasts, a two-way prospect is one that is seen as a professional prospect as both a pitcher and a position player. Davis, a lefthander, is wishing he embarked on a professional career as a Pitcher, than as a first baseman at the current time. Ike, a first round pick, out of an Arizona State baseball program that has produced perennial all-stars, such as Dustin Pedroia, Andre Ethier, and Ian Kinsler (L'chaim!), Davis was thought to surpass all of the aforementioned sluggers with his own hitting prowess. To say that the development of Ike Davis has been heart-wrenching and disappointing to watch would be an understatement, but am I really surprised?
The answer is no, and here's why:
The Good:
2006-2008 Arizona State Totals: 244/691 (.353) 40 HR 204 RBI's 131K's
Notes: Davis improved each and every year, which is the progress you want to see out of a young hitter, with his junior year (2008) being his best. His strikeout percentage hovered around 19% of his at-bats, which isn't too alarming of a statistic, especially for someone with as much power potential as this young man.
The Bad:
2009 (Full-season A and AA) 112 K's in 429 AB's (26.1%)
Notes: Davis plays in two levels, and hits a combined .298 with 20 HR over the two levels. In AA, Davis has a total of 207 AB's over a 55-game spread, striking out in 29% of his AB's. Davis's K percentage is slowly rising; but despite this he hits over .300 and hits 13 HR in only 207 AB's in AA. On the surface, these numbers look superb and worthy of a promotion, but one cannot overlook the importance of a rising strikeout percentage, as this is a tell-tell sign that Davis is becoming overmatched as he rises through the Minor League ranks.
The smart move post-2009: Have Davis start 2010 in AA and finish out the year in AAA, barring no major developmental setbacks
The NY Mets philosophy: Have Davis start in AAA, play 10 games, and call him up after having a grand total of 677 Minor League AB's over parts of 3 minor league years.
The Damage:
Ike has been in a two-season slump that can be a testament to his long swing, his front foot bailing out, his high hand setup and his subsequent dropping of his hands, and him being 2 miles away from the outer part of the plate. It amazes me how this guy has not made adjustments to try to rectify his inconsistencies. Ike is almost assuredly due for a Minor League trip down to the AAA affiliate in Las Vegas to work out his inconsistencies and allow a more productive player to aid in helping the Mets attempt to win.
Let's break down Ike's swing with the assistance of this Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npt4AbrPi3s
Some of the notable issues are Ike's front foot swinging wide-open after his leg kick, which allows his hips to fly open and for him to completely lose bat coverage to the outer third of the plate (meaning he will swing and miss at anything that is away, because he is physically unable to reach it) Also, his bat plane is all screwed up due to his high pre-pitch hand location and his subsequent dropping of those hands, which forces the bat to drag through the zone in an undesirable trajectory (leading to many pop-ups, swings and misses, etc.)
These issues are glaringly obvious and it perplexes me as to how nobody in the Mets organization has attempted to correct these flaws.
If you've made it this far, congrats. Here's your prize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnIaaSUbAQ
I'm pulling for Landon Powell (Mets farmhand) after watching that one, wow talk about putting things in perspective.
Until next time...
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