Fantasy Baseball: Top 5 New York Mets To Draft In 2015

Travis d’Arnaud

Mar 25, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud (7) hits a RBI single during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This is the second season that d’Arnaud will be starting behind the plate, and the heat will be on right from the beginning. The Mets have another top prospect Kevin Plawecki waiting in the wings, so d’Arnaud should be motivated to perform right out of the gate to put any questions to rest about him being the starter.

Last season d’Arnaud slashed .180/.270/.273 through June 7th as he battled injuries and inconsistency. He was sent down to the minors, where he showed the potential the Mets were hoping for. On June 24th he came back to the majors and made a splash his first game, hitting a home run. He carried that momentum throughout the remainder of the season, as he finished the season with a slash line of .242/.302/.416.

For 2015, the Mets lineup is much improved, which should only help d’Arnaud post stronger numbers and be a legitimate breakout candidate. He will more than likely be batting towards the bottom of the Mets lineup, but even there he could have a chance to drive in runs with guys like Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson batting ahead of him on most nights.

He will easily surpass the numbers he had last season, and should be good for an average around .260 with home runs in at least the high teens, approaching 20. You cannot beat that value, as d’Arnaud’s average draft position is into the 220’s. At that point you will not be seeing many, if any, players with 20-homer potential like d’Arnaud has.

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