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Mets - Lucas Duda - Curtis Granderson - (Sporting News)

Mets – Lucas Duda – Curtis Granderson – (Sporting News)

Comfort and complacency are never a good thing when it comes to sports. Those attributes will make your rise to greatness a short trek. No matter what situation you’re in there will always be somebody trying to take your job, replace you or just flat out try to be better than you.

Lately, we’ve seen some players of the New York Mets begin to heat up with the expectation that Yoenis Cespedes is to return to the lineup in the near future. Keep in mind he recently had a minor quad setback. Somebody’s in line to lose their starting spot. With Michael Conforto on a hot streak the past few weeks, there’s no chance he’s coming out of the lineup.

Now, let’s take a look at the main contestants in line to potentially lose their starting job.

Contestant number one: a grizzled veteran hailing from Blue Island, Illinois with a smile that can brighten up a room. He’s down on his luck a bit this season, sporting a batting average under the Mendoza line, at .187. He also has an on-base percentage at a poultry .259. 

However, it seems as though opposing pitchers should begin to take notice as this 36-year-old has begun to find his stroke a bit over the past week. He has contributed at a .350 clip, adding in 3 extra-base hits, 4 RBI’s, and 4 walks as well. Contestant number one is outfielder Curtis Granderson.

Contestant number two is a bit of a burly man, some would say lumberjack-like. His teammates say he’s an introvert and a man of few words to be spoken, with a hatred for iPads. A slow start plus an injury has made contestant two a little underwhelming. It has left some wondering, should the Mets move on from him? A slugger by nature whose power has been lacking, hitting .263 with 7 home runs and only 16 runs batted in.

Don’t look now but the big man is hitting one of those patented hot streaks and the competition has seemingly brought out the best in him. Lately, he’s slashing the baseball at a .435 clip, 7 extra-base hits, and has started driving in runs with proficiency (9) over the past week. Contestant number two is first baseman Lucas Duda.

Could this just be a case of two guys getting hot at the same time? Sure. As a former athlete, I understand the competition aspect of sports. Being involved with and around it my whole life, you’re not fooling me. This situation is a clear, classic case of competition bringing out the best in two athletes who are fearful that they may lose their jobs.

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Greg is a Staff Writer here at DoubleGSports.com, covering a variety of topics.
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