Apr 15, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda hits an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK — Delivering big hits in the clutch is nothing new for New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda. He etched a spot in team lore when he hit a walk-off RBI single off future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera to lift the Mets past the New York Yankees in Rivera’s final game at Citi Field on May 28, 2013.
But carrying himself with the confidence of a big-time slugger?
That’s something new — and it might be turning Duda into one of the most feared players in the National League.
Duda continued a torrid stretch of hitting Thursday, when he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning of the Mets’ 7-5 win over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.
Duda has produced a pair of extra-base hits in each of his last three games. He is the first Mets player to do that since Carlos Beltran in 2006 and only the fifth in the franchise’s 53-year history.
Overall this season, Duda is hitting .395 with a homer, eight RBIs and six doubles in 38 at-bats. He is also 4-for-8 against left-handers — his go-ahead single came against Marlins southpaw Mike Dunn — after hitting just .216 in 426 at-bats against lefties prior to this season.
“He could be a monster, there’s no question about that,” Mets left fielder Michael Cuddyer said. “He’s got the right mentality right now. He’s got confidence, he’s got a good approach and a good swing. That’s all the makings of a really good hitter and he’s displaying that right now.”
All caveats apply about small sample sizes, of course, but Duda is certainly looking and acting as if last season’s breakout campaign — in which he ranked among the NL’s top five in both homers (30) and RBIs (92) — was a sign of things to come and not an aberration.
“I think his whole demeanor, when you watch him now, he’s calm and he’s the guy that wants to be in that spot,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He’s taking this on now as a big challenge to show everybody he belongs here. He’s absolutely revved up to show me he should play against left-handers.”
Of course, “revved up” is a relative term for Duda, whose shyness and barely audible monotone had many believing he wasn’t cut out for New York. But the biggest problem for Duda was a lack of a position and playing time.
After shifting the lumbering Duda between left field, right field and first base in his first four big league seasons, the Mets installed him as their everyday first baseman upon trading Ike Davis to the Pittsburgh Pirates last April 18.
Almost a year to the day, Duda is entrenched as the Mets’ No. 3 hitter and looks like an All-Star on both sides of the ball (he has become adept at turning the 3-6-3 double play) as well as someone growing more comfortable with being the center of attention — at least on the field, if not off it.
“I wouldn’t read too much into it — it’s 10 games in,” Duda said. “Still 152 to go. I’m going to continue to work hard and keep my head down, and see how it goes.”
So far, so good.
