The Mets’ struggle at DH with DJ Stewart has been heightened by the signing of Ji-Man Choi. NJAM
In spring training, the New York Mets are welcoming competition.
Many thought that DJ Stewart batted in 20 games towards the end of the previous season .343 with a 1.228 OPS, ten home runs, and twenty-one RBI, virtually guaranteed the DH position in 2024. However, Ji-Man Choi’s addition probably suggests differently.
Carlos Mendoza, manager of the Mets, finds a throwback in Choi. When Mendoza was promoted from the minor levels to become the Yankees’ infield coach and Choi signed as a free agent, their paths initially intersected in the Bronx in 2017.
“I like the way he controls the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, there’s power, (and) he’ll give you quality at-bats.”
It was Choi’s worst big league season last year. Between the Pirates and Padres, he batted .163/.239/.385, but during his five seasons with the Rays prior to that, he was the kind of hitter Mendoza had described: an on-base machine with occasional pop. Choi had a .352 on-base percentage, 52 home runs, and 203 RBI in 414 games with Tampa.
Choi played first base and DH for the majority of his career, with a brief stint in the outfield early in his career. He’ll probably start in the minors if he doesn’t get the DH position. He might be able to replace Pete Alonso in a bench position.
Stewart, an Orioles first-round selection in 2015, has mostly played in the minor leagues or on the injured list during his career. In 2018, Buck Showalter’s final season as Baltimore’s manager, he made his Major League Baseball debut. It seemed only right that, five years later with the Mets in 2023, he would begin “figuring some things out” under Showalter.
Stewart’s performance from the previous season had a significant impact on him.
“He’s been through a lot, he got an opportunity with the Mets last year, especially toward the second half of the year, and he performed,” Mendoza said. “I’m excited to have him here in camp. … I like the bat, obviously, like the power, I like the discipline. I’m looking forward to watching him play.”
Stewart’s skill for getting on base is similar to that of Choi; during the course of his career, his on-base percentage (.329) is more than one hundred points higher than his batting average (.220). In the lower leagues, where he batted.254 with a.361 on-base percentage, this was also the case.
Stewart’s .506 slugging percentage from the previous season with the Mets is proof that he can hit for power. He is a more adaptable alternative than Choi because he is an outfielder by nature. This season, he’ll probably play outfield in addition to taking the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter.