Tomas Nido likely to get more playing time
Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard celebrates with catcher Tomas Nido after pitching a complete game and defeating the Marlins at Citi Field on Sept. 30, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Expect to see more and more of Tomas Nido in the near future.
The Mets’ playing time split behind the plate has been tipped in favor of Wilson Ramos, but only barely of late, with the catchers trading off starts for the past week-plus. And the team is being more open in its preference for pairing Noah Syndergaard with Nido, who also has caught Jacob deGrom three starts in a row.
“We’re always going to put the best team out there that we can field that night,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “There’s some things that Noah is working on that we feel are going to lead to some success. That aligns pretty well with what Nido can do, and that’s keeping the ball down and receiving the ball down. If we can find a little advantage here or there, we’re gonna do it.”
The Mets have resisted using the term “personal catcher,” though multiple reports Tuesday said Syndergaard requested to work with Nido specifically.
“It’s like we’ve said all along: There’s going to be times when they obviously are getting on a roll,” Callaway said. “There’s going to be times when Ramos is going to catch them. Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom can be elite pitchers [no matter who catches] them.”
Both perform better when throwing to the backup, however. Catcher ERA isn’t considered a great measure of a catcher’s influence, but the difference is striking. DeGrom has a 1.83 ERA in nine starts with Nido, 4.50 in seven starts with Ramos. For Syndergaard, it’s 2.29 with Nido (three starts) and 4.69 with Ramos (11 starts).
Ramos — who signed a two-year, $19-million deal with the Mets last winter to be the starter — said he communicates openly with the coaching staff, with nightly messages about whether he’ll play the next game. If he really wants to play a certain game, he can push for it. A decrease in playing time is unusual for him, but he said he’s “not mad at all.”
“That’s never happened in my career before, especially when I’ve been healthy,” Ramos said. “I respect all the decisions the manager makes. I’m ready to play every time they put me in the lineup.”
