Mickey Callaway says Mets need to prioritize defense

Amid another lost season for the Mets, manager Mickey Callaway has emerged as the most publicly vocal proponent of what would be a significant philosophical shift for the organization: prioritizing defense.

“Defense needs to be paramount,” Callaway said. “We’ve seen when we play good defense we win games. [Monday] night, we didn’t play great defense in one inning and we ended up losing the game because of it.”

That was a reference to Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario’s collision on a 13th-inning pop-up to shallow left against the Giants. Smith, a first baseman by trade, was in left, his new secondary position. Rosario was backpedaling from shortstop. Smith called the ball late, and neither caught it. (Earlier in the frame, Tyler Bashlor threw away a pickoff attempt for an error.)

Although Smith’s flub was an egregious example, the Mets often play players out of position, and throughout Sandy Alderson’s regime as general manager they didn’t particularly value defense.

Callaway indicated others with the Mets are beginning to see it his way.

“If we’re going to lean on our pitchers to carry us to where we need to be, I feel like everybody in the organization is starting to understand our defense needs to improve,” Callaway said.

“When you’re trying to develop people, you’re not developing a one-faceted player. You have to value defense just as much as hitting, just as much as bunting, just as much as [other aspects of the game]. You have to value every part of that player to make him a winning player. If you don’t, things are going to be left by the wayside and it’s going to cost you games.”

It’s unclear how a new emphasis on defense — if it comes to fruition — might affect the Mets’ offseason plans. Their new head of baseball operations, who ownership will begin searching for in earnest next month, will heavily influence that agenda.

And for now, Callaway plans to keep using Smith in left.

“We think moving forward if he can bring that versatility…it helps him out,” Callaway said. “And gives us a better chance to win in my opinion. We really value that versatility. If he can do it and excel at it at some point, it’s going to really help us out.”

Shift key

Callaway said he understood the frustration expressed Monday by Zack Wheeler, who allowed a run when a bloop fell in because the Mets were slightly shifted. “That’s just human nature,” Callaway said.

He added that the Mets tell their starters pregame how the fielders will be lined up for each batter, and give them the chance to speak up in case a given arrangement makes them uncomfortable.

“They rarely want you to change,” Callaway said. “We try to make it clear to them that hey, we’re going to do all this work and be diligent about how to position them, but in the end, if you want to look into it and change it, we’re more than welcom[ing to that] so you feel comfortable.”