The Mets took a probability on Harrison Bader to enhance their outfield defense following multiple injury-plagued seasons in The Bronx and elsewhere.
The previous Gold Glove winner largely has stayed healthy and provided loads of pop, as well, ripping two of the Mets’ five homers in Friday night’s 7-6 win over the Rockies at Citi Field.
Perhaps most significant, the Bronxville native has played in 82 of 93 games this season after totaling 184 appearances in 2022 and 2023 combined, including 84 for the Yanks before he was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Aug. 31 last summer.
“I feel I’ve been around long enough to simply type of believe within the plan of attack once I’m up there,” Bader said. “Last yr I used to be hurt, everyone knows that. The foremost focus is just keeping my body in a very good spot to simply be healthy and to be available and to go on the market and execute my plan.”
The highlight of Bader’s tenure in The Bronx was belting five home runs in nine postseason games in 2022.
He has gone deep as many as 16 times in a single season — for St. Louis in 2021 — and his two solo blasts Friday night put him halfway to that total this yr.
Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias already had gone deep within the second inning when Bader clocked the Mets’ third solo shot in a four-batter span off Rockies righty Tanner Gordon.
It marked his first home run since June 26 against the Yankees.
Bader drove one other Gordon offering over the left-field wall within the fourth, a two-run shot to increase the Mets’ result in 6-2.
It was the second multi-homer game of Bader’s eight-year MLB profession — and his first since Sept. 15, 2019 for the Cardinals against the Brewers.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who coached Bader with the Yankees, said the largest difference he’s seen is the outfielder’s splits against right-handed pitching.
Bader entered the season batting .244 in his profession versus righties, but that number has risen to .312 this season.
“I’ve been playing this game long enough to grasp what they’re attempting to do to me in numerous situations,” said Bader, who will likely be a free agent again this offseason after his one-year, $10.5 million deal expires. “You’re not going to achieve success each time, by any means, but you possibly can go up there confidently to execute your plan.
“So I feel just being healthy this yr, sticking with my training staff and just being confident in what I’m attempting to do, I feel, has allowed me to open that up a bit bit.”
The Mets took a probability on Harrison Bader to enhance their outfield defense following multiple injury-plagued seasons in The Bronx and elsewhere.
The previous Gold Glove winner largely has stayed healthy and provided loads of pop, as well, ripping two of the Mets’ five homers in Friday night’s 7-6 win over the Rockies at Citi Field.
Perhaps most significant, the Bronxville native has played in 82 of 93 games this season after totaling 184 appearances in 2022 and 2023 combined, including 84 for the Yanks before he was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Aug. 31 last summer.
“I feel I’ve been around long enough to simply type of believe within the plan of attack once I’m up there,” Bader said. “Last yr I used to be hurt, everyone knows that. The foremost focus is just keeping my body in a very good spot to simply be healthy and to be available and to go on the market and execute my plan.”
The highlight of Bader’s tenure in The Bronx was belting five home runs in nine postseason games in 2022.
He has gone deep as many as 16 times in a single season — for St. Louis in 2021 — and his two solo blasts Friday night put him halfway to that total this yr.
Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias already had gone deep within the second inning when Bader clocked the Mets’ third solo shot in a four-batter span off Rockies righty Tanner Gordon.
It marked his first home run since June 26 against the Yankees.
Bader drove one other Gordon offering over the left-field wall within the fourth, a two-run shot to increase the Mets’ result in 6-2.
It was the second multi-homer game of Bader’s eight-year MLB profession — and his first since Sept. 15, 2019 for the Cardinals against the Brewers.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who coached Bader with the Yankees, said the largest difference he’s seen is the outfielder’s splits against right-handed pitching.
Bader entered the season batting .244 in his profession versus righties, but that number has risen to .312 this season.
“I’ve been playing this game long enough to grasp what they’re attempting to do to me in numerous situations,” said Bader, who will likely be a free agent again this offseason after his one-year, $10.5 million deal expires. “You’re not going to achieve success each time, by any means, but you possibly can go up there confidently to execute your plan.
“So I feel just being healthy this yr, sticking with my training staff and just being confident in what I’m attempting to do, I feel, has allowed me to open that up a bit bit.”
