PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Grapefruit League action Wednesday afternoon, and while some of the team’s top performers were recognizable names, a few less notable players turned some heads.
Pete Alonso slugged his first homer of the spring season, taking left-hander JoJo Romero deep in the fourth inning. But Trayce Thompson hit his second in as many games, with a 417-foot blast off the Clover Park batter’s eye. In his last outing, the non-roster outfielder hit a grand slam.
Thompson, the brother of Golden State Warrior guard Klay Thompson, is 4-for-7 with two home runs and a double in three Grapefruit League appearances. The outfielder has spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he’s hoping that a change of scenery reignites his career.
So far, the move from the Cactus League to the Grapefruit League has been good for him.
“This is a guy that’s making some adjustments — being more direct to the ball being one of those — and he’s having results out of the gate,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “That’s important. We know the type of athlete he is and what he brings to the table. He’s a special defender with the speed.”
Thompson is pretty low on the depth chart, but should the Mets be able to retain his services in Triple-A, he’ll likely be one of the first outfielders called up in the event of injury. Mendoza is putting an equal emphasis on offense and defense when it comes to his bench bats.
It’s a small sample size against a few Triple-A pitchers, but it’s still a solid start for Thompson.
“The way he impacts the baseball now, it’s good to see him getting results early in camp,” Mendoza said. “Especially with how hard he’s working behind the scenes.”
Alonso’s home run was accompanied by a new celebration of sorts, a chef’s kiss. Alonso hit 46 home runs last year, but he hit just .217. He’s hoping to improve his average this season, but the Mets will take every homer they can get.
“Typical Pete,” Mendoza said of the home run. “A hanging breaking ball, he got the head out and hit it out of the ballpark.”
BULLPEN BATTLE
The Mets didn’t use any of their starters against St. Louis, using three relievers from Major League camp before letting the minor league guys take it the rest of the way. Right-hander Reed Garrett, left-hander Josh Walker and right-hander Grant Hartwig pitched the first three innings.
All three appeared in the Major League with the Mets last season, but with a revamped bullpen, they aren’t guaranteed anything out of camp. The Mets like Garrett because of his ability to throw multiple innings. Hartwig can do the same, but the Mets were cautious not to overload him too much last season. The Mets recently added another lefty to the bullpen in Jake Diekman, but an eager Walker is more confident than ever after spending the winter training in Florida.
Realistically, the Mets will probably need all three of them at certain points this season.
“The biggest thing is that they are getting ready for this season and controlling the things that they can control,” Mendoza said. “That’s going out there and attacking the strike zone and you know letting things play out. They’re going to be a big part of what we’re trying to do here. We continue to talk about that and they’re right there competing.”
NO SHORTAGE OF DEFENSE
Infielder Zack Short made the play of the game in the seventh at third base, knocking down a screaming grounder at the line and making a long throw across the diamond. So far, Short, who is competing for a utility infield spot, has showcased excellent range and a strong arm, making a few impressive plays at third.
