Desmond Lindsay/Photo by Ed Delany
Following the League Championship Series, you have the opportunity to see players whose careers have been forever changed due to their implementation of a new swing.
J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner were non-tendered the year before their breakout season. Max Muncy had not been in the majors in over a year. Those are the highest profile examples we know, and there are probably many more between the final four teams remaining in the postseason.
The task for any franchise is to identify those players who could benefit to a new swing or approach and become the next Turner. For the Mets, who better than Desmond Lindsay?
When Lindsay was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft, the organization was very excited about him. Through his first two seasons, that excitement seemed justified. After that, injuries and seemingly regression set in making you question if Lindsay would ever reach his ceiling.
Despite the injuries and struggles, Lindsay would be assigned to the Arizona Fall League to play along some of the biggest prospects in the game like Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Peter Alonso.
In his first game, a funny thing happened. Lindsay not only looked like the guy the Mets thought they were drafting three years ago, but he also looked like one of the biggest prospects in the games.
Lindsay would go 2-for-4 with two homers, and one of those two homers went opposite field. That’s noteworthy because according to Lindsay, he had not done that in over two years.
Put the opposite field power aside, Lindsay only hit three homers in 84 games for St. Lucie. Seeing these results, it begs someone to ask what changed. In an article by William Boor of MiLB.com, Lindsay would say it was his swing:
I’ve been working on a new swing, so today was the first day doing it, and I think it’s safe to say I liked it pretty well.
Based on one game, that’s an understatement. Still, it’s just one game, and there’s more work to be done. It’s on Lindsay to not just improve but re-establish himself.
Fortunately, Lindsay is well aware saying, “I’m trying to work on hitting. That’s why I’m here. My past two years haven’t been ideal, haven’t been what I wanted, so I’m here to show what I can do and show that I still have it.”
The Mets really need Lindsay to have it too. Looking at the farm, there aren’t really any outfield prospects in the upper levels of their system. If this swing change proves to be a solution, it’s a game changer for Lindsay and the Mets. Suddenly, the Mets have a real offensive machine making his way to the majors.
