Daniel Vogelbach smiled broadly as he considered his success.
Within the span of 24 hours, the slugging designated hitter picked up 19 video games within the standings. He went from enjoying out the string for the irrelevant Pirates to becoming a member of the first-place Mets, a bunch he described as “particular.”
“To be needed by a group that has one aim in thoughts, and that’s to win a World Collection, it makes you're feeling good and it makes you wish to play,” he mentioned on Saturday, shortly after arriving in Queens, earlier than the Mets hosted the Padres at Citi Area.
Vogelbach wasn’t simply needed, however wanted. The Mets, in search of an offensive jolt, acquired the 29-year-old left-handed hitter in alternate for reliever Colin Holderman on Friday night time. They hope Vogelbach can present pop from the left aspect to bolster their anemic DH spot, which has begun to function an undesirable anchor weighing down the batting order.
Mets designated hitters owned a .662 OPS this yr getting into Saturday and had been batting simply .216, paltry numbers that needed to be addressed. Whereas Vogelbach will probably solely begin towards right-handed pitchers — he doesn’t hit lefties nicely in any respect, posting a .141 batting common towards them, and didn’t begin on Saturday towards southpaw Blake Snell — he does that very nicely. He has an .896 OPS towards righties, together with 12 house runs in 173 at-bats.
“Simply going to carry it daily, and that’s type of what I concentrate on,” he mentioned.
For his profession, Vogelbach has a .745 OPS, and a slash line of .213/.336/.408. They're much like his numbers this season (a .769 OPS and .228/.338/.430 slash line), which appealed to the Mets. He hits for energy and will get on base rather a lot. Actually, the newcomer has the bottom swing charge in baseball at 31.9 p.c. At instances, his affected person method has gotten him in bother, nevertheless it does work, too.
“It’s simply one thing that I satisfaction myself in, getting the pitch that I wish to hit and never the pitch the pitcher needs me to hit,” he mentioned. “I've a plan each time I'm going up there, and I simply firmly consider that if I persist with my plan, good issues will occur.”
Vogelbach is thrilled in regards to the alternative. He obtained the prospect to achieve the playoffs for the primary time in his seven-year profession final season with the Brewers, and is hoping to return to the postseason this October with the Mets.
“This final two, two-and-a-half months of the common season, each recreation issues,” he mentioned. “I obtained a bit of style of it final yr being with Milwaukee and enjoying significant video games for the primary time in my profession. I really feel like when you get a bit of style of it, you need increasingly, and I’m excited to be right here.”
Vogelbach has by no means appeared in a recreation at Citi Area, however he does have a consolation degree with the Mets. He performed with Tomas Nido and Francisco Lindor on highschool journey groups and teamed up with Taijuan Walker on the Mariners. After the commerce went down, he spoke to former Met Jay Bruce, a detailed good friend and one-time teammate, about what to anticipate.
“That is about as huge leagues as you will get,” was Bruce’s recommendation. “That is what you dream of if you’re a bit of child. That is the massive leagues.”
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