Daniel Vogelbach of the New York Mets has been chasing the success that he enjoyed during his 2019 season with the Seattle Mariners ever since. Judging by his recent performances, he may need to wait longer yet.
The 30 home runs and 76 RBIs in 2019 put the relatively obscure designated hitter and first baseman on the map. Ever since, Daniel Vogelbach has played on no fewer than four teams. In July 2022, he was traded to the Mets, and was kept on in 2023 after hitting .255/.393/.436 in 55 games with the team.
2023, however, has brought much less fortune for Daniel Vogelbach. In his last 36 at-bats, the 270 lbs man has hit just .083 with one RBI. On account of his performance, Mets manager Buck Showalter has had him on the bench since June 7.
"Late last week Mets brass decided to give Daniel Vogelbach a mental break of sorts and not play him for a stretch as he works toward trying to get on track. It has left the bench short for the last few games, including last night when Luis Guillorme remained in to hit in the 9th." - Mike Puna
During Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field, Showalter drew the ire of fans for deciding not to pinch-hit Vogelbach for second baseman Luis Guillorme. Guillorme, who has yet to hit a home run on the season, lined out to center field to end the game and secure the Yankees' 7-6 win.
After the game, fans of the New York Mets took to Twitter to question the bizarre decision from their manager. Many felt that if Vogelbach was not up to MLB standards, he should not be occupying the bench.
According to Buck Showalter, he wanted to keep Daniel Vogelbach ont he bench as he "works towards getting on track" mentally. For most fans, this was not seen as a valid lineup decision.
Mets starter Max Scherzer had an uncharacteristically poor showing. The 38-year old lasted only 3.1 innings after allowing six earned runs, including a pair of home runs. The loss represented the ninth loss over the course of the last ten games for the Mets.
Solutions to Mets' struggles are bigger than Daniel Vogelbach
Now with one of the worst ERA's in the month of June, the Mets have seen an implosion of their pitching corps, the highest paid such group in the game. The Mets are now 9.5 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. While it is true that Vogelbach probably could have been used in lieu of Guillorme against the Yankees, it's hard to win games when you're surrendering six runs before the fourth inning on the regular.